Experiential Trend of the Week: Cinematic Campaigns -

Movies captivate audiences and fuel shared experiences, and during this summer’s blockbuster season, brands have been capitalizing on the nostalgia, the eats and the viewing venues to drive trial, inspire learning, and immerse consumers in their favorite IP.

Idea: Scale-up the simplest of pleasures. Like popcorn.

Free streaming service Pluto TV’s “Summer of Cinema” campaign popped up at Westfield Century City in Los Angeles with the Popcorn Challenge featuring a larger-than-life fabricated branded popcorn box. Consumers stepped inside and were granted 20 seconds to catch as many popcorn kernels as possible. Those who caught the most popcorn (and “special golden kernels”) earned prizes like beach kits, gourmet snack boxes, Bluetooth headphones, and speakers.

Idea: Consider unconventional venues or rooms with a view.

And in the streaming age, movie lovers are architecting their dream viewing experiences, from home theaters to backyard drive-ins. But with the power of experiential, Disney+ saw an opportunity to create “fully immersive cinematic experiences” for fans. The brand teamed up with Swimply, the pool-sharing platform, on the Disney+ Dive-in Theater at private pools across L.A., which were transformed into themed environments for cult classics “Alien,” “Honey, I Shrunk the Kids” and “Camp Rock.”

Idea: Passive sampling can be as engaging as active sampling.

Hint Water combined sampling and cinema on a New York City rooftop. In partnership with Rooftop Cinema Club, the brand hosted a movie night featuring “Legally Blonde” in celebration of its 20^th anniversary (and the film’s). The brand served up candy bags from local Lil Sweet Treat, a DIY charm bracelet bar, light bites and samples from its limited-edition Summer Classics Variety Pack.

Idea: Learning can (and should) be fun for all ages and at all events.

Morgan Stanley at Work caught our attention with an activation at Thrive 2025 in Los Angeles featuring Hollywood-inspired interactive stations that invited attendees to “Be a Star” while learning about traditional financial services. The six stations were themed around fictional movies connected to Morgan Stanley’s service offering. Movie posters generated with AI and movie tickets added to the vibe. Read more from our Themed Learning trend here.

And that’s a wrap.