I've been thinking a lot lately about experiential marketing. Specifically about whether this period of quarantine and health crisis will derail a niche that has been red-hot in recent years.
No, I'm not going to try to clickbait you with some dramatic "Experiential is dead!" hot take. But I do think the industry has been rocked back on its heels, as has been reportedly consistently and excellently by my colleague Ian Zelaya, Adweek's experiential reporter.
That said, there's good reason for optimism in the fate of experiential, if you ask me at least.
While creative agencies have spent decades rending their clothes and gnashing their teeth about the need to evolve their business models, many experiential agencies were able to pivot at breakneck speed as the Covid-19 pandemic put a hard stop on activations.
But there's a more intangible reason to believe in experiential. The word itself has become such a cliché in recent years, we've become insensitive to its real meaning. And as the quarantine ends, we'll find ourselves desperate to get out in the world again, seeing, smelling, feeling and tasting everything we can beyond the confines of our own homes.
What got me thinking about all this was a simple but exquisitely executed idea from Swedish alcohol-free wine brand Oddbird.
The brand will soon begin taking reservations for Nowhere, a popup restaurant that offers six isolated seating areas spread out across the Häringe nature reserve.
It's a lovely idea, being billed as the most socially distant restaurant on Earth. And if it sounds as good to you as it does to me, it's a reminder that experiences still have great value—and don't have to mean packed crowds.
Yours (still) in quarantine,
David Griner
Creative and Innovation Editor, Adweek
David.Griner@Adweek.com
Please consider supporting our journalism with an Adweek Pro Subscription and gain full access to all of Adweek's essential coverage and resources.
