The Brief: Hatching Mascots and Slime Boutiques -

FIVE THINGS TO KNOW THIS WEEK

This week’s hot takes on hot topics in experiential marketing cover hatching mascots, Touch-Up Trucks and Slime Boutiques.

THE VALKYRIES’ NEW RAVEN MASCOT HATCHES INSIDE THE CHASE CENTER

Move aside, experiential easter eggs. A purple raven’s egg stole the spotlight this month outside of the Chase Center in San Francisco, home of WNBA team the Golden State Valkyries.

It all began on Aug. 7, when a large, violet egg with gold speckles appeared in front of the arena. To address the situation, the Valkyries immediately brought in a wildlife management expert, who confirmed that the egg likely belonged to a bird, but couldn’t identify the species. In response, the team transported the egg into a nest inside the Chase Center for safe keeping, then set up a Nest Cam that allowed fans to keep an eye on the egg around the clock.

The plot thickened when the Valkyries announced that “Birdwatchers Night” would take place during its Aug. 11 game against the Connecticut Sun, where all fans were promised a pair of binoculars upon arrival. Right on cue, on the morning of the game, the team discovered that the egg was cracked open and empty.

Finally, during the halftime show, a pumped-up purple raven wearing a custom team dress, bow, glasses and sneakers emerged from the tunnel shaking her tail feathers as a video of her hatching earlier in the day was played for fans. The bird was officially introduced as Violet, the team’s new raven mascot (ravens are commonly depicted as Valkyries’ helpful and savvy counterparts in Norse mythology).

After a warm welcome from attendees, Violet, who apparently likes to be called by her nickname “Vi,” learned how to play basketball from Warriors star Quinten Post, and got to know iconic Bay Area dances, before fans around the arena sang the birthday song to the new “captain of The Flock.” Long may she reign.

Photos: Courtesy of the Golden State Valkyries

TRESEMMÉ INVITES GEN Z TO GTFO OF BED AND ONTO ITS TOUCH-UP TRUCK

If TREsemmé has anything to say about it, Gen Z’s bedrotting days are over—at least while it’s still warm out. On Aug. 11, the brand launched a Get TF Out of Bed campaign aimed at helping younger consumers go from doomscrolling to a night on the town with the help of its A-List Collection Dry Texturizing Spray, a product line designed for styling hair in five minutes or less.

From mid-August to mid-September, TREsemmé is partnering with Eventbrite to hit up nightlife destinations on its “party tour” across Miami, Nashville, Los Angeles, Chicago and finally NYC, where the program will wrap during New York Fashion Week. To boot, the TREsemmé Touch-Up Truck stopped in Miami on Aug. 15, and will make its way to Nashville on Aug. 22, offering a mobile salon experience led by hairstyling professionals.

Experiences will vary, but the party vibes and opportunities to test out the A-List Collection will be on tap at each TREsemmé event, along with cheeky “good hair, bad influence” messaging. Or as the company put it: “Think of these as your chance to look like a supermodel and act like a liability (no judgment here!).”

Adding to the hype, creator partners are rallying their followers as they hit clubs across each tour city to record content for a three-episode “Get TF Out of Bed!” social series.

Image: Courtesy of TREsemmé

FIND YOUR HAPPY PLACE: SUBWAY AND NETFLIX TEE UP A FAN ACTIVATION

It’s been nearly 30 years since the original “Happy Gilmore” film debuted, so when a sequel to the popular golf comedy was unveiled this July on Netflix, it sparked a variety of brand collabs and activations. Among them: the Subway x Netflix “Happy Place” pop-up experience hosted on Aug. 8 in Santa Monica, CA.

In a nod to the titular character’s iconic “Happy Place” daydream world, Subway transformed its restaurant into a golf-themed environment that allowed consumers to relive scenes from the new flick, meet cast members, play mini golf on a course inspired by the movie’s most memorable shots (faux alligator included—IYKYK) and snap photos against curated backdrops. Fans could also indulge in Subway’s themed Happy Gilmore Meals and enjoy beer on tap inside a country-club-style beer garden… which happens to be our happy place.

Photo: Courtesy of Subway

MCDONALDLAND AND ITS WACKY CHARACTERS ARE MAKING A COMEBACK

Newstalgia has struck again, and younger generations don’t know what they’re in for.

For the first time in more than two decades, McDonald’s has revived its McDonaldland platform. Originally revealed in 1971, McDonaldland was introduced as a colorful fictional world (think: Candy Land on steroids) populated by quirky characters, and became a pop culture phenomenon that was featured in movies and games, and established a devoted following.

Now, the company’s trippy fantasy realm is returning in the form of a new themed meal, collectible souvenirs, an interactive microsite and IRL events, all brought to life by the world’s beloved characters—Ronald McDonald, Grimace, Birdie, Hamburglar, Mayor McCheese and the Fry Friends.

The crew and its vibrant universe are popping up at a handful of events this summer to interact with consumers and provide them with access to the new Mt. McDonaldland shake and a wide range of exclusive merch. The journey began at ThriftCon in Denver from Aug. 9-12, followed by Breakaway Music Festival in Grand Rapids, MI, from Aug. 15-16. Next up: the Coker Zero Sugar 400 in Daytona, FL, from Aug. 22-23 and the Breakaway Music Festival in Boston from Sept. 5-6.

Sundae Mountains and French Fry Thatches? One ticket to McDonaldland, please.

Images: Courtesy of McDonald’s

FAMILIES ‘BEAUTIFY’ GOO AT GUI GUI’S SLIME BOUTIQUE

It’s been a minute since we’ve spotted an event that was specifically designed as a platform for generating organic social content that caters to non-attendees. Last month, Moose Toys’ Gui Gui brand, which sells scented slime, made it happen with The Gui Gui Slime Boutique at The Grove in L.A.

From July 19-20, families could stop by the pop-up for exclusive giveaways, photo ops and a multisensory, five-station activation that mimicked the brand’s five-step “slime beautification” process (read: lots of sparkles). And it was all built to inspire the widespread sharing of short-form, FOMO-inducing UGC.

All told, Gui Gui drove a 35-percent social interaction rate with 100-percent positive sentiment, and reached nearly 15 million consumers in two days. Beautification complete. (Agency: NVE Experience Agency)