The Brief: Group Chat Bars and Credit Wreckers -

FIVE THINGS TO KNOW THIS WEEK

This week’s hot takes on hot topics in experiential marketing cover Group Chat Bars, Bodega Raves and the crushing of Credit Wreckers.

OMG, HEINEKEN IS TAKING THE GROUP CHAT OFFLINE, FR

Event profs know better than anyone that there’s no replacement for in-person connection—even your most cherished group chat. So as part of its #SocialOffSocials campaign, and in response to a study that revealed the majority of Americans are in group chats with friends or family, but don’t meet up IRL as much as they’d like, Heineken introduced the Group Chat Bar.

For the launch of the concept last week, the brand partnered with NBA star Josh Hart to bring his group chat, “Cold Water,” into the real world, giving members a chance to reconnect in person before the start of the pro basketball season. For one night, a bar in New York City was transformed into a physical expression of years’ worth of Cold Water’s memes and inside jokes.

Now, it’s consumers’ turn. On Oct. 31, the brand opened up a nationwide contest that will see one U.S.-based group chat win a curated Heineken Group Chat Experience that will transform their digital conversations into IRL touchpoints. Kind of makes you wonder (or shudder at the thought of) how your own group chat might manifest itself in the real world…

TEQUILA CAZADORES RAISES A GLASS TO THE BODEGA RAVE TOUR

Over the last several months, we’ve seen brands tap into the off-beat rave and bodega activation trends all around the U.S. This fall, Tequila Cazadores entered the chat with a title sponsorship of a multicultural campaign that combined the two concepts—the Bodega Rave Tour. When NYC-based dj collective MUNDO Soundsystem, known for transforming neighborhood bodegas into secret late-night parties, decided to take its show on the road for the group’s first-ever tour, the spirits brand signed on as presenting sponsor to help further its mission to become part of the modern Latino nightlife conversation.

Popping up in New York, Chicago and San Francisco, each dance party included a surprise guest dj that played Latin and Caribbean beats, a co-branded, streetwear-inspired jersey that was available on-site and online, and signature cocktails that took cues from classic bodegas and featured Cazadores Cristalino. Not exactly your average corner store experience. (Agency: M Booth)

Photo credit: Nikki Allen Creative; Angel Montalvo

WHICH CAUSE DO YOU ‘GIVE AN E.L.F.’ ABOUT?

From championing women’s sports, to encouraging girls to consider a career in STEM, e.l.f. Beauty has never been shy about its purpose-driven ethos. And in October, to celebrate the launch of its 4th Annual Impact Report, the brand invited consumers to jump in to support and celebrate diversity with the debut of “Give an e.l.f.,” a campaign that highlights some of the “e.l.f.ing amazing” causes that the brand and its fan community care most about.

The program spanned social, digital, OOH, a two-page spread in The New York Times, and a pop-up on Oct. 28 in NYC, where attendees were encouraged to make a difference by visiting a custom donation kiosk and choosing a cause they care about—e.l.f. Beauty took care of the rest by donating to a nonprofit supporting that cause. Following their selection, participants could redeem their donation receipt at a gift bar for their choice of e.l.f. Beauty products.

Ultimately, nearly 1,000 people participated in the pop-up, and the brand donated $50,000 across six causes chosen by its community. We e.l.f.ing love this tactic. (Agencies: Shadow; The Bait Shoppe)

Photo credit: Tory Stolper Photography

SKATING, SOCCER AND STREET CULTURE COLLIDE AT MANOR PLACE

Some of the brands that are most in tune with consumers today are the ones that foster community, something Nike has taken to heart with its latest venture, Manor Place. The experiential venue in South London, which opens Nov. 11, will operate as a free, multi-use public hub dedicated to sports, creativity and community connection. Hello, third-space strategy.

In partnership with Palace Skateboards, Nike designed the experience with creatives, skaters and soccer players in mind, which is evident in three central zones: The Park and The Cage, The Front Room and The Residency. Across the historic building, key touchpoints will encompass a “world-class” skatepark that will serve as a venue for special event programming; a unique underground soccer cage; an exhibition of local art that will function as a cultural hub for workshops, panel talks and pop-ups; and a content creation studio that provides a workspace for six emerging creatives, who will be swapped out for fresh faces every nine months.

FINANCE MISTAKES WILL ‘WRECK’ YOUR DAY—THIS BANK IS HERE TO CRUSH THEM

Unbeknownst to us, there’s such a thing as National Get Smart About Credit Day, which falls annually on the third Thursday of October. To mark this year’s occasion on Oct. 16, Credit One Bank rolled out a multipronged OOH campaign in NYC that was timed to the holiday. The stars of the show were the brand’s Credit Wreckers, characters introduced earlier this year that represent the four biggest personal-finance mistakes that consumers make, like missing payments and maxing out credit cards.

It all began on Oct. 6, when mysterious wild postings in the form of “Wanted” posters showed up around the city, hinting at the forthcoming arrival of the Credit Wreckers, followed by cryptic sightings shared on the brand’s Instagram account of the characters scampering around Manhattan, with messages that urged consumers to be on the lookout for the dangerous perpetrators hiding “in plain sight.”

The campaign reached its climax in SoHo on Oct. 16, when a gigantic billboard was dropped on the Credit Wreckers, crushing them and all the mayhem they represented. New Yorkers were invited to drop by, check out the installation and learn more about Credit One’s solutions for combating credit-damaging habits online… Cha-ching. (Agency: Deutsch)

Photo credit: Idan Menin/Steelhead for Credit One Bank