Audible Inc.
Audible Inc. took an ordinary Austin parking lot and turned it into what it dubbed The Audible Sound Experience. Attendees entered the environment through an LED-lit tunnel where they were greeted by sideshow-style entertainers and immersed in a carnival-inspired experience. Visitors played carnival games for the chance to win Audible-themed prizes; noshed on carnival concessions like corn dogs, cotton candy, and ice pops named after book genres; and took a spin on the sonic Ferris wheel. While they waited in line for their turn in the sky, attendees used posted QR codes to take a quiz that would recommend a book for them based on their answers. Then as they rode the Ferris wheel, they could listen to the recommended book or scroll through other options that might better suit them. When their feet were back on terra firma, they had a new audiobook to add to their "must listen" list. If they couldn't wait to listen to one more chapter, they could head to the back of the parking lot where they could grab a drink at a bar under the big top, pick up a pair of headphones, and settle into their next favorite audiobook. Paramount+
Paramount+ brought back its popular activation, The Lodge, at SXSW this year. The streaming service took over a Rainey Street bar and gave it a new façade and décor that turned it into a ski lodge that would have been right at home at the base of a mountain. Visitors who waited in the lengthy line that snaked outside of the building were rewarded for their patience with a stroll through Paramount+'s catalog of entertainment. Each floor of the three-story building was dedicated to at least one of the streaming service's current or upcoming shows or films, including nods to "Halo," "Mean Girls," "Star Trek: Discovery," and its upcoming series based on the novel "A Gentleman in Moscow." Visitors could sip on themed cocktails while they explored the different floors that offered plenty of photo opportunities, airbrush tattoos, and Adirondack chairs situated perfectly for people watching. ~Pourri
At this iteration of SXSW, odor-battling company ~Pourri proved that it gives a crap about things most won't talk about in polite society. At a city-wide festival like SXSW attendees tend to simply accept the necessity of holding their nose and using what can sometimes be dirty, smelly, and uncomfortable portable toilets. ~Pourri gave people another option. Thousands of special edition mini bathroom sprays were handed out to attendees, and if they used the QR code on their spray to sign up on their phone to receive special SXSW text messages, their bathroom spray became a key to luxe bathroom trailers stationed around the festival footprint. These trailers battled the funk while bringing the funk - they dripped with faux flowers, disco balls, and selfie walls because what better place to take a selfie than in the bathroom mirror? The brand also hosted music performances, talks, and toward the end of the festival, inflated a veritable mountain of poop that visitors could crawl through, should they be so inclined. Manuka Health
Wellness brand Manuka Health, a provider of honey products, turned the basement of a Rainey Street speakeasy into an art gallery tangentially related to its product. Illuminated eight-foot tall prints of National Geographic photographer Craig P. Burrows' ultraviolet images of flowers covered the walls of the darkened room, showing visitors how flowers look to honeybees. Visitors could sample a honey-based cocktail as they took in the art and sampled the company's products. UKG
Workforce management solutions provider UKG scored a hole in one at the environment it created in an Austin hotel. It transformed a ballroom into an extraordinarily detailed mini golf course, complete with lockers, trophies, chocolate coins - which served both as a snack and a symbol of potential earnings for folks looking for their perfect gig - a selfie wall, wordplay galore, and a photo booth that turned photo series into flipbooks. As visitors played a round of golf, friendly staffers took the opportunity to chat with them about the company's offerings, cheer on their game, and offer helpful golf stance tips.