Dive Brief:

• Ferrero-owned gum and mints brand Tic Tac is celebrating its 50-year history with an "open house" activation in London's Covent Garden neighborhood from June 15-16, Campaign reported. 
• Visitors to the house can create their own unique flavor combinations, and the brand’s R&D team will identify some of the most popular ones for potential product ideas. There will also be a "Mixers" cocktail bar inspired by Tic Tac flavors. 
• The activation, part of Tic Tac's "Open Up" campaign, also features a GIF booth, where visitors are urged to shake their packs of candy and share the images on social media for a chance to win tickets to the music festival Elrow. 

Dive Insight:

Tic Tac is continuing its push to generate interest among the millennial crowd, a strategy the company announced in 2015, with its open house activation. The candy and mints brand wants to create a unique experience for visitors by allowing them to create their own distinct flavor combinations and GIFs.

The GIF booth could also help the brand extend its reach on social media, and taps into young consumers' preference for expressing themselves through visuals like GIFs, stickers and emojis. Out-of-home (OOH) activations that tie in a strong mobile or social media component are a tactic more marketers are embracing to target millennials, who are viewed as valuing experiences over products. Common elements of these campaigns include eye-catching visuals, photo booths with props and product customization.

Kellogg's created a similar experience at its NYC Café in March to celebrate National Cereal Day, with cereal-themed foods, cocktails and decorations, as well as a performance by Hailee Steinfeld. In January, Ben & Jerry's promoted new flavors with a pop-up street carnival in Los Angeles that featured ice cream-inspired games, a photo booth and an oversized swing ride.