The Brief: Celebrity Dashcams and Studio Cheez -

FIVE THINGS TO KNOW THIS WEEK

This week’s hot takes on hot topics in experiential marketing cover Celebrity Dashcams, visual love letters and Studio Cheez.

DANCING AND DAIRY: WELCOME TO STUDIO CHEEZ

We thought we’d seen the height of fromage-themed nightlife events when Eventbrite teamed up with “Queer Eye” star Antoni Porowski to host NYC’s first-ever Cheese Rave. But over the weekend, Cheez-It entered the chat with Studio Cheez.

From Oct. 9-11, the pop-up in New York’s East Village served as a nightclub-inspired experience underscored by a playful Cheez-It spin. Attendees sipped on Cheez-Tinis and other snack-infused cocktails, munched on cheesy bar bites, enjoyed “late-night pours” of crackers from the first-ever Cheez-It Tap and danced to live dj sets on a light-up dance floor, and beneath a giant Cheez-It Disco Cube. We’re told there was even a VIP… SpeakCheezy. (Agencies: Trigger(House; Weber Shandwick)

Cheezit night club 20255_Credit Ryan Gregory_Bar-C-0006-HDR studio cheez

Cheezit night club 20255_Credit Ryan Gregory SpeakCheezyVIP-C-0011-HDR studio cheez

Cheezi studio cheez 20255_Credit Ryan Gregory Cheez-It-Tap-0137

Photo credit: Ryan Gregory

ALL OF GRAND CENTRAL’S ADS HAVE BEEN REPLACED WITH ARTWORK

For all of its grandeur and historic charm, NYC’s Grand Central Terminal (GCT) is also a giant billboard of sorts, with ads plastered on screens across the venue and its adjoining subway tunnels. But for a brief time, every ad in the venue has been replaced with art.

Now through Oct. 19, commuters at GCT will encounter Dear New York, an art installation created by Brandon Stanton, founder of the storytelling platform Humans of New York, which serves as a “visual love letter” to the people of NYC. The space has been transformed into a powerful showcase of everyday locals and their stories, and more than 150 digital screens have been synched to showcase thousands of portraits from Stanton’s Humans of New York archive.

The takeover is widespread. In the main concourse, 50-foot-tall projections envelop passersby with intimate New York stories, and more than 100 hours of music will be performed in collaboration with The Juilliard School, including concerts on a grand piano donated by Steinway & Sons. Nearby, Vanderbilt Hall is hosting a community art showcase featuring emerging NYC artists alongside works from 600-plus local public school students, selected through an open call.

Meanwhile, underground, an art installation created in collaboration with Andrea Trabucco-Campos marks the most extensive use of physical space in the subway’s history. Stanton calls the project at large “a powerful reminder of our shared humanity.” (Agency: OUTFRONT Media)

Photos: Courtesy of Dear New York

DELIVERIES GET INCREASINGLY ABSURD IN DOORDASH’S STADIUM STUNT

Not since ColdplayGate has a Jumbotron moment captivated us the way DoorDash just did. During a halftime takeover at the LAFC vs Atlanta United match at BMO Stadium on Oct. 5, the brand activated a “Celebrity Dashcam” stunt featuring LAFC legend Carlos Vela, who was seated in the stands. (Learn more about the activation in our digital class on sports sponsorship.)

Across multiple, increasingly absurd skits, Vela “ordered” unexpected items from DoorDash. We’re talking: jars of pickles, office supplies, a tortilla chip the size of his head, spa supplies, an “infinite” scarf and, at one point, a full Italian dinner, complete with a waiter who ground fresh pepper onto Vela’s pasta.

Attendees watched the skits unfold, one by one, on the Jumbotron during halftime, with each of the outlandish deliveries arriving in the company’s signature red bag to remind fans that they can get nearly anything delivered on-demand with DoorDash, “on match day and beyond.” (Agency: GUT Los Angeles)

NEW YORKERS KICK IT WITH DR. MARTENS AT AN ‘ART OF COMFORT’ POP-UP

Dr. Martens activated a dreamy launch event from Oct. 2-3 for its new slip-on Zebzag boot that was part art installation and part product showcase. The free “Art of Comfort” experience in Manhattan included projection-mapping sequences, ambient soundscapes by day, a dj by night, a GIF-style photo op and a mezzanine café offering themed, complimentary f&b. Attendees also explored plush “concrete” benches and got up close and personal with the boots, which were presented on pedestals with embossed footprints, and showcased in all five colors. (Agency: CNC Agency)

Photo credit: CNC Agency

THIS FALL, ‘HYPERLOCAL’ IS THE NAME OF ESSENTIA WATER’S GAME

If you haven’t seen a great market takeover in a while, look no further than Essentia Water and its Change The Equation campaign, which is wholly focused on engaging New Yorkers. With a quality-over-quantity mentality, the brand is going all in on NYC and its residents.

Over the last couple of weeks, Essentia has made its mark with everything from skate park pop-ups to surprise sampling moments to street stunts to fitness events with Action Black Nomad to collabs with NYC influencers. Rounding out the programming was the brand’s debut as the official water partner of Athlos NYC, a women’s-only track-and-field competition hosted Oct. 10, that spanned athlete welcome kits and an on-site fan activation. Hyperlocal FTW. (Agency: Droga5)

Photos: Courtesy of Essentia Water