Best Use of Music/Audio in an Experiential Activation
Bose QCE II Launch Event
Brand: Bose
Agency: Mirrored Media
During New York Fashion Week, Bose and agency Mirrored Media showcased the effectiveness and stylishness of the QuietComfort Earbuds II in an audiovisual experience in the Hell’s Kitchen neighborhood. In collaboration with renowned designer and DJ Heron Preston and with an exclusive performance by The Strokes, the who’s who of the creative industries and the press were able to experience the Quiet Comfort Earbuds II through a 360-degree spatial audio theatrical experience where immersive scenarios demonstrated the noise-cancellation power of the new earbuds. The exclusive physical experience even resonated digitally, with Google search volume for the brand reaching new all-time highs at 168% and social mentions outperforming their previous model launch. With influencer impressions alone reaching 23 million, the experience continued to shatter expectations. Total impression goals were surpassed by 3,000%, influencer reach was exceeded by 268%, and the viral launch proved to resonate with both sides of culture. —K.C.
Best Use of Celebrity in an Experiential Activation
They’re Just Ken: Ryan Gosling Gifts BTS’ Jimin Ken’s Guitar
Brand: Warner Bros.
Agency: IW Group New York
Warner Bros.’ Barbie film owned the summer, but it was Ryan Gosling’s Ken and the 40.8 million-strong BTS Army that gave Warner Bros. and IW Group a viral moment. Serendipitously, Gosling’s Ken wore an outfit similar to K-pop sensation and member of the boyband BTS, Park Ji-min (aka Jimin), in his music video—and the fan base took notice. Leveraging this coincidence to meet more diverse audiences, the brand responded with a campaign that included a video of Gosling gifting Jimin a one-of-a-kind Ken-themed Gibson guitar while acknowledging their great taste in fashion. The agency then helped get the word to Jimin in Korea, and his Instagram gratitude post continued to send fans into a frenzy. Together, Gosling and Jimin’s interaction sparked a Twitter storm. The BTS Army of fans pushed “Kenland” and helped their videos amass more than 106 million video views, 12.2 million social engagements and 1.3 billion media impressions. —K.C.
