Issue #61: Brand Bite of the Week
The brands that are crushing it at SXSW this year.
Hi! I unexpectedly took Thursday off of writing due to a chaotic week, but I’m back with today’s Brand Bite. It’s all about how brands are showing up with buzzy brand activations and experiences at SXSW in Austin right now. While unfortunately I’m not on the ground in Austin, I’ve had this topic in my back pocket for a while now, ever since Delta’s SXSW strategy caught my attention last year, so I’m excited to unpack a few brands that are doing cool things at this major event.
Brand Bite of the Week: Brands who are crushing it at SXSW
Okay, so which brands are hosting the best pop-ups and activations at SXSW this year? Here are my top picks:
Whataburger / Whataburger is celebrating their 75th anniversary with an art exhibition at their ‘Whataburger Museum of Art’ or WMOA, including 200+ pieces of fan-created art.
Not to brag… but this definitely reminds me of what we did at Mailchimp with our ‘Email is Dead’ exhibit at SXSW Sydney last fall (and before that at the Design Museum in London). Art exhibitions by brands are in!
Rivian / Rivian teamed up with Ben & Jerry’s on a fleet of electric ice cream trucks in Austin this week. And after SXSW, the trucks will road trip throughout the country. Rivian also created an off-road driving course in the middle of downtown Austin, allowing SXSW attendees to experience the cars for themselves.
JBL / JBL is the official audio partner at SXSW this year, and they’re investing big in the event. Throughout the week, they’re hosting a ‘Sound Bodega,’ a pop-up corner store in Austin where ‘fans will be immersed in a playground of audio technology.’ The pop-up will be home to performances, giveaways, games, photo ops, and curated snacks and drinks.
It opens tomorrow, so I couldn’t find any photos, but if anyone’s there, please report back in the comments!!
What Works
SXSW tends to be a super crowded space, so it can take a lot to stand out. I’m a fan of each of these brands’ strategies, but as far as I can tell, Whataburger’s activation seems to be the talk of the town. When a brand has a lot of love, lore, and fandom, like Whataburger does, art exhibitions can be a really smart move to further inspire brand affinity and loyalty. Furthermore, WMOA’s art is produced by consumers, lending even more buzz and chatter to the activation.
What Can We Learn?
Embrace fan culture & lore. Whataburger brought their strong brand culture and story to life with WMOA, capturing audience attention in a really crowded arena. If you’re a brand that’s lucky enough to have that history and audience loyalty, then experiences and campaigns that embrace it can be super powerful. I also love that Whataburger is acknowledging that fans are co-creators of the brand story by showcasing fan art. They’re celebrating their community with WMOA, and I’m here for it.
Hands-on product experiences are super valuable. Rivian’s product doesn’t easily fit into an event, but I love that they made it work with their off-road course in downtown Austin. It allows people to actually experience the product, creating meaningful connections – way beyond just seeing the car.
Reimagine nostalgic places & experiences. While not exactly groundbreaking, there were multiple activations that took a familiar space like an art museum or corner store and reimagined them to fit the brand and engage audiences. JBL's Sound Bodega takes the classic concept of a bodega and spins it to become an immersive, highly engaging venue for the brand to connect with audiences.
That’s all for this week! Thanks for reading and talk soon. xx
As a Texan, the Whataburger pop up has my heart!!