Campaigns + Creative

In a year where designer dolls and love stories grabbed the world’s attention, event marketers also leaned into niche interests and the speed of pop culture across their campaigns. These were among themes across the nearly 50 installments of our Trend of the Week column in 2025, and as the wheels turn for 2026, we’ve […]

In 2025, EM expanded the scope of its Experiential in Color recognition program to include a new mentorship initiative led by a steering committee of industry professionals. We spoke with three mentor/mentee pairs about what the experience has meant to them. Mentor Gerry Rojas and mentee Natalie Azcona know all too well how the events […]

Christmastime is here again, and our calendars, inboxes and social feeds have been overflowing with festive pop-ups, holiday markets, light shows and takeovers that have us feeling that warm, merry spirit. We’d have to travel around the world on Santa’s magic time to hit all of the brand activations taking place this month, so we’re […]

To capture the fleeting attention of passersby, you have to go big or go home, and this year, we’ve seen brands popping up towering installations of recognizable icons that have had consumers doing a double take, pulling out their phones to snap photos or even just stopping for a moment to admire the temporary monuments. […]

Godiva is celebrating its 100 years with a centennial glow-up and swanky new campaign starring the actress Leighton Meester. Angela Fotopoulos, Marketing Director, Godiva, Pladis Americas, dishes on all the details.

The explosion of immersive entertainment experiences just might be the hottest industry topic of 2025—look no further than our fall cover story. And in November, right on cue, author and brand marketing veteran Charles Melcher published “The Future of Storytelling: How Immersive Experiences Are Transforming Our World” (Artisan Books). Over the span of 320 pages, […]

Cannabis brand Spherex has found a lot of success leaning into activity-based events—a strategy Katie Mattox, vp-marketing, says was “partially intentional, partially by accident.” After hosting a roller-skating party inspired by the release of a Taylor Swift album a few years ago, Spherex discovered that its community enjoyed skating and wanted more. Around the same […]

Since November 2024, revenue from gifts has increased 250% at Patreon. The platform’s Marketing SVP discusses the brand’s marketing point-of-view and holiday campaign.

Physically, much of the country is battling winter weather, but mentally, Barbie superfans are already in sunny Florida basking in the glow of the first-ever Barbie Dream Fest. Indeed, the countdown is on for the Fort Lauderdale-based event, to be hosted March 27-29 at the Broward County Convention Center. The festival, billed as the “ultimate” […]

When it comes to engaging entertainment buffs, incorporating experiential easter eggs into fan activations has become non-negotiable. Not every attendee will notice or understand a brand’s subtle references to its IP, but the superfans most certainly will—and they’re actively seeking them out. Following are seven ideas for playing hide and seek.   1. HOTLINES For […]