Dive Brief:
- LG announced plans for a "dishwasher-themed" water park yesterday ahead of next month's "Citi Summer Streets" program in New York City, according to a company press release.
- The 6,750-square-foot water park is designed to look like the brand's QuadWash dishwashers and will include obstacle courses and cutlery-shaped slides to showcase the appliances' new spray technology. LG will also erect cabanas where visitors can check out the new dishwasher in person.
- "Citi Summer Streets" is an annual event of free outdoor activities for the public. At the 10th annual one this year, New York City's Department of Transportation will close seven miles of streets in Manhattan to make room for the crowds. Last year, nearly 300,000 people attended the event.
Dive Insight:
LG's over-the-top branding effort is a distinct and entertaining way to engage consumers and boost awareness of its newest line of dishwashers — and it might help stave off some of the summer heat. For visitors who would rather not get soaked in the inflatable water park, the brand will also have cabanas where visitors can check out the dishwashers in person, speak with LG employees and participate in on-site giveaways.
LG's out-of-home effort is reminiscent of Snapchat's marketing push last month at the Cannes Lions advertising festival, where the social media company installed a full-sized branded Ferris Wheel to attract the attention of top marketers and media companies in attendance. Both campaigns take advantage of carnival and theme park elements to make a splash with consumers and boost awareness in front of large audience, although LG goes even further by transforming the water park into something akin to an outsized version of its latest products.
New Yorkers have been the beneficiary of a number of recent innovative out-of-home campaigns. This week, Perrier and Kinetic teamed up for an immersive pop-up experience in Soho, NY, called The Perrier Flavor Studio to showcase two new flavors. Through a hashtag photo printer and Twitter vending machine, Perrier's effort aims to bridge offline and online digital marketing and encourage user-generated content on social media. Last month Charmin rolled out a mobile on-demand bathroom service via a branded van that responded to online requests for a restroom from users around the city. And just few weeks earlier, Delta teamed up with Tinder to paint a Brooklyn building with iconic locations from around the world to create a "selfie wall."
