evm_september-2023 - 9

PLAYBOOK
PRIMAL KITCHEN TELLS AMERICANS 'YOUR
BUNS DESERVE BETTER' WITH A CHEEKY
CAMPAIGN TOUTING ITS CONDIMENTS
An Amazon report revealing that mayo is America's favorite condiment was
all the ammo CPG brand Primal Kitchen needed to fuel a grilling-themed
summer campaign that drove awareness of its range of condiments. It all started
with the brand's " Mayo Moment, " entailing OOH, activations, influencer
partnerships and a TikTok series that promoted a new Mayo Whip Dressing
& Spread. Then, during Fourth of July weekend, Primal Kitchen employed
airplane beach-flyovers around the Jersey Shore to tout its Organic Unsweetened
Ketchup-a common tactic for beverage brands, but likely drawing a few
double-takes as a condiment company. The aerial message: " Your buns deserve
better. " Cheeky.
Primal Kitchen then fired up a Mayo Mobile food truck and hit Venice
SAMPLING
Beach, dishing out samples of Mayo and Mayo Whip Dressing to add to chicken salad, elote, coleslaw and french fries. The brand ultimately served more
than 1,000 samples in 12 hours. To wrap the campaign, Primal's co-founders hosted a Mayo Remix house party for L.A. creators in the health and wellness
space, and partnered with W&P to give away custom food storage containers as a nod to the traditional " Tupperware party, " tying back to the '50s and
consumers' affinity for whipped dressing during the era. Ahhh... a simpler time. (Agency: Coffee 'n Clothes)
THESE BRANDS ARE ENCOURAGING CONSUMERS TO PLAY HOOKY-AND COME TO THEIR
ACTIVATIONS INSTEAD
POP-UPS
Pumped up with beats by none other than DJ Out of Office, about 250
participants tried the brand's canned vodka lemonade cocktails. They also
enjoyed a photo booth with an illuminated, lemon-branded backdrop and
handheld signs, as well as a rooftop terrace with Jenga games and lounge
seating.
" We are a new brand; we don't have the star power yet. So it was just making
sure that we curated this in the best way possible with a unique idea.
This 'Jury Duty' idea was absolutely critical to supplement the fact that we
have lower awareness as a brand and drive a little bit of novelty, " according
to Nikhil Shah, brand director at Loyal 9 Cocktails. (Agencies: No Fixed
Address; starpower; Taylor; Wheelhouse)
But wait, there's more. In a similar vein, Deep Eddy Vodka on Aug.
Being stuck in an office on a sunny summer day can be a major bummer.
Rather than staring at a computer screen or working under fluorescent
lighting, many consumers wish they could be poolside with a cocktail
in hand. And that's the feeling Loyal 9 Cocktails aimed to capture with a
pop-up event disguised under the code name " Jury Duty " that offered New
Yorkers a cheeky yet believable excuse to block off their calendars for the
afternoon and kick off their weekend early.
Once they RSVP'd and dipped out of work, consumers headed to the
lemon-themed, multistory Loyal pop-up bar, where they were greeted by
a summery blue-and-yellow color palette and plenty of out-of-office messaging,
including a neon sign that read: " It's your duty to enjoy summer. "
25 hosted a Virtually Optimized Developmental Knowledge Assembly
(V.O.D.K.A.) Conference in response to a Harris Poll survey, which found
that 91 percent of employed Americans feel burned out at work. The fake
conference series popped up concurrently in Austin, San Diego, Miami,
Louisville, Baltimore and Patchogue, NY. Attendees were invited to duck
out of work for the day and gather with friends or co-workers to sip Deep
Eddy cocktails from " coffee " mugs, listen to live music and score fake
conference swag, like lanyards. Here's our favorite part: When consumers
RSVP'd to attend on the official event page, their calendar was legitimately
blocked off with an event titled " The Virtually Optimized Developmental
Knowledge Assembly Conference. " Dare we say... legendary?
-J.C.A., K.S.
KFC'S 'FRY FUNERAL' ENCOURAGES CANADIANS TO PAY
THEIR FINAL DISRESPECTS TO A SOGGY RECIPE
There was no eulogy, no sympathy and not a tear shed when KFC Canada hosted a funeral in
Toronto. That's because the irreverent fast food brand was bidding adieu to the recipe for its old
fries, a product Canadians have widely criticized over the years. So to mark the end of its " Soggy Fry
Era, " and build buzz for its new Seasoned Fries, KFC gave consumers the chance to pay their final
disrespects to the old product as a branded hearse carrying a casket filled with french fries rolled
through the streets of Toronto, beginning at a KFC store, then hitting high-traffic locations, like
Yonge-Dundas Square. For those who couldn't attend in person, the brand hosted a livestreamed
funeral on a dedicated microsite. R.I.P. to anyone who tries to top this stunt.
eventmarketer.com
STUNTS
FALL 2023 EVENT MARKETER
9
IMAGE CREDIT: GETTY IMAGES/DAVE KOTINSKY FOR LOYAL 9

http://www.eventmarketer.com

evm_september-2023

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of evm_september-2023