The Brief: Rowboat Rides and Golden Strolls -

FIVE THINGS TO KNOW THIS WEEK

This week’s hot takes on hot topics in experiential marketing cover romantic rowboat rides, college glow-up campaigns and “Golden Bachelor” walking tours.

FANS STRIKE ‘GOLD’ ALONG ABC’S WALKING TOUR OF MELROSE AVENUE

With a little bit of wordplay and a lot of gold-colored décor, ABC celebrated the new season of “The Golden Bachelor” and its star, Mel Owens, with a takeover of Melrose Avenue in Los Angeles.

From Sept. 19-20, fans could stop by the Mel’s Rose Diner (get it?) to join a walking tour down the iconic street. Along the way, they encountered some of L.A.’s most beloved vendors, including Sweet Lady Jane, E.P & L.P, Joe & the Juice, Charmed LA and alice+olivia, among local businesses.

ABC also provided golden roses for attendees to collect, “date cards” that unlocked prizes, golden-themed treats, and exclusive offers from partner restaurants and retailers. Another golden treat offered on-site? An appearance by Owens himself.

abc golden bachelor melrose walk 2025 coin

Photo credit: Frank Micelotta/Disney

ROMANCE AND ROWBOAT RIDES AT AUDIBLE’S ‘LAKESIDE RENDEZVOUS’

Have you heard? Audible’s new Romance campaign got steamy over the weekend at New York’s Central Park Boathouse during a “Lakeside Rendezvous” event. On Sept. 19, the brand celebrated all things romantical with an experience that shined a spotlight on its “Pride & Prejudice Audible Original” category and other standout romance titles found on its platform. The highlight of the activation: rowboat rides across The Lake.

Attendees first encountered three romance-themed realms—Modern, Romantasy and Regency—featuring meticulous design details, photo ops and the Audible Love Match Quiz, billed as a Tinder-style experience that people could complete on their phones while waiting in line to discover a romance title customized to their taste.

And then there were the costumed live actors roaming the footprint and functioning as “book boyfriends” and “book girlfriends,” who were inspired by characters from romance genres found on Audible (including rom-coms, “Romantasies” and Regency classics) and helped showcase the depth of the brand’s starry-eyed catalog.

Wrapping the event were the romance-themed rowboat ride across The Lake, designed to “extend the joy of the genre” and, naturally, inspiring some dreamy social content. (Agency: Civic)

Photo credit: Bryan Bedder/Getty Images for Audible

STATE FARM & KAI CENAT: SPONSORSHIP, STREAMING AND SUBSCRIPTIONS

If you’re familiar with State Farm’s multiyear Gamerhood Challenge initiative, you know the brand doesn’t shy away from blurring the lines between entertainment, content creation and advertising. Earlier this month, the brand’s quest to break the mold continued through a multifaceted partnership with mega-influencer Kai Cenat.

It all began with a first-of-its-kind commercial shoot livestreamed on Twitch, which gave fans a behind-the-scenes view of how branded content production works. Next, State Farm supported Cenat’s Little Basketball Association with a high-visibility sponsorship activated on draft day and game day that included recognizing Cenat with a custom Good Neighbor Award, and facilitating on-site interactions with fans.

Finally, to Cenat’s surprise, Jake from State Farm brought Questlove, JuJu Watkins and the whole USC Marching Band to his house, where the influencer was recording content for “Mafiathon 3,” his third 30-day, 24/7 Twitch livestream event. Jake and the crew helped fuel Cenat’s mission to reach one million Twitch subscriptions during the event, while helping the brand in its bid to connect with younger audiences and meaningfully engage the gaming community. gg, State Farm.

Image: Courtesy of State Farm

BESTIES GATHER FOR BLOOMS AND BRA FITTINGS AT AERIE’S POP-UP

From Sept. 6-7, bras and blooms converged at Aerie’s “Real One” pop-up in Venice Beach, CA, the first-ever West Coast activation from the apparel brand. For two days, the experience on Abbot Kinney Boulevard was built to deliver “confidence in full bloom” with activities and décor dedicated to self-love and L.A. vibes.

The garden-themed activation invited women and their “real one” (read: bestie) to stop by the pop-up for free bra fittings with Aerie experts, exclusive discounts, photo moments, sweet treats, like rose matcha drinks displayed on a whimsical beverage cart, and custom swag, including t-shirts with branded patches. (Agency: AGENC)

MAJORING IN BEAUTY EDUCATION ON ULTA’S COLLEGE GLOW UP TOUR

Class is officially back in session and brands have been firing up college campus tours all month. The latest to join the ranks is Ulta Beauty, which launched the College Glow Up Tour, presented by HerCampus Media, on Sept. 16 at the University of Miami.

The six-city program, which wraps at Savannah College of Art & Design on Sept. 26, is anchored by the Ulta Beauty truck, and supported by partner experiences with Polite Society, Isima, Snif, Anua, Digi Beauty and Black Girl Sunscreen. At each stop, beauty fans have a chance to sample and learn about products, score free gifts, snap photos, rub shoulders with influencers, enter to win major prizes, and participate in a sweepstakes that will yield the grand prize winner two tickets to Ulta Beauty World 2026. We’d give that strategy an A+.