FIVE THINGS TO KNOW THIS WEEK
This week’s hot takes on hot topics in experiential marketing cover Intense Nacho Tours, Plastic Pauses and big balls.
THIS SUPERSIZED BASEBALL TRAVELED ON A 2,600-MILE STADIUM TOUR
Here’s the hard truth: A baseball had a more adventurous summer than we did. By far.
As part of its World’s Most Autographed Baseball campaign, over the last month, Minor League Baseball (MiLB) sent a ginormous, 1,200-pound baseball on a 2,600-mile road trip that stopped at 15 MiLB stadiums to gather fans’ signatures. And on July 29 outside of Major League Baseball’s NYC headquarters, MiLB officially set the Guinness World Record for the most signatures on a piece of sports memorabilia—6,750 of them to be exact.
The giant baseball replica was carted around in an acrylic case and towed by a branded truck and trailer, creating a spectacle as it rolled through cities. At each game, the eight-foot ball, equipped with a real-time digital signature counter, was installed on a raised AstroTurf platform, beginning with the Indianapolis Indians’ home game on June 24. Fans were invited to sign the ball and share photos using #OnlyinMiLB.
As the giant baseball traveled from stadium to stadium, MiLB collected fans’ signatures in the hopes of blowing the previous world record for most autographs on a piece of sports memorabilia—2,146—out of the water. And it did. The league gathered three-times the number of autographs, and saved the final signature for Major League Baseball commissioner Rob Manfred. That’s one giant home run. (Agencies: Good Sports Creative; Street Factory Media)
Photos: Courtesy of Good Sports Creative
FESTIVAL FANS SET SAIL ON TAKIS’ INTENSE NACHO TOUR
We love a good floating activation, and Takis is the latest brand to pull it off with some flair. While Lollapalooza was taking place at Chicago’s Grant Park on Aug. 1, the brand set sail nearby on The Takis Intense Nacho Tour. More than 300 fans hopped on board for a two-hour pre-festival cruise on Lake Michigan for cheesy photo moments, live entertainment, an open bar and, naturally, larger-than-life cheese fondue fountains.
The fully branded boat was packed with engagements, including a performance by viral dj BUNT., a merch customization station where fans personalized Takis gear, photo ops, views of the Chicago shoreline, swag and a Takis To-Go Bar that dished out tacos to-go packaged in an “Intense Nacho” bag. Let’s just say… they had us at “cheese fondue fountains.” (Agency: Medium Rare)
Photos: Courtesy of Takis
ROTHY’S URGES NEW YORKERS TO TAKE A ‘PLASTIC PAUSE’
Like many places, it’s been toasty here on the East Coast this summer, and on July 29, it was Rothy’s to the rescue with cold drinks that helped amplify its message about the harm that single-use plastic does to the planet. As part of a longterm partnership with HOPE Hydration, the fashion brand transformed New York’s Times Square into a sustainability haven that brought its “The Plastic Pause” public call-to-action to life. The idea? To remind consumers that starting with small behavioral changes, like swapping a disposable bottle for a refillable one, can make all the difference.
The activation, supported by digital billboard placements that called for New Yorkers to “pause overconsumption,” featured a branded water refill station installed in Times Square, as well as one at Duffy Square and one outside Rothy’s Fifth Avenue flagship store. Street teams near Times Square were on hand to encourage passersby to trade their plastic single-use bottles for reusable bottles donated by Ocean Bottle and similar organizations, and fill them up with cold, clean water. The effort was strategically designed to make a splash in one of the world’s most commercial destinations.
Ultimately, 2,000 single-use bottles were swapped for branded, reusable ones, and consumers were kept hydrated on a day when temps hit the mid-90s. But this wasn’t a one-and-done kind of campaign. Rather, it helped lay the groundwork for “permanent refill infrastructure” with Rothy’s and HOPE working to bring more refill stations to NYC through 2026. We’ll raise our Swell bottle to that.
Photos: Courtesy of Rothy’s
WHAT, LIKE IT’S HARD? HINT WATER HOSTS A Y2K-THEMED SCREENING EVENT
Newstalgia, particularly as it relates to the Y2K era, is still trending in events, and on July 16 for its 20th anniversary, Hint Waters tapped into the movement on a New York City rooftop. In partnership with Rooftop Cinema Club, the brand hosted a Y2K-inspired event anchored by a screening of the feel-good 2000s classic, “Legally Blonde.”
In addition to a dose of Elle Woods, press and influencers in attendance were treated to candy bags from NYC’s Lil Sweet Treat, a DIY charm bracelet bar, light bites and a whole lot of Hint’s limited-edition Summer Classics Variety Pack. (Agency: Konnect Agency)
Photos: Courtesy of Hint
CERAVE IS CELEBRATING ITS ANNIVERSARY WITH A ‘BIRTHDAY PRESENT’ FOR FANS
Speaking of 20th birthday bashes, CeraVe and its newly appointed goat mascot, Sarah V., are popping up this summer on a six-city tour designed to serve as a thank-you to loyal customers and a celebration of skincare science. (The brand launched its first-ever mobile tour last year.)
From July 29 to Sept. 13 in both big cities and small towns, the 20 Years of CeraVe Tour is showing up in a range of locations with a gift for fans. Literally. The entire activation is centered around a 20-foot by 20-foot “birthday present” installation filled with hands-on stations and giveaways, plus photo ops and a chance to meet with a certified dermatologist. (Agency: Allied Global Marketing)
More from The Brief:
- The Brief: Frozen Lotion and Chainsaw-sliced Sandwiches
- Watch The Brief, Live! July 2025 Edition: San Diego Comic-Con
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