AUSTIN — McDonald ’s , Windex , and Dove have nothing to do with technical school startups , but that did n’t hold back them from showing up at South by Southwest Interactive this year in hopes that the tech festival ’s patina of cool would rub off on them .
It ’s the same story every year : Brands fall on Austin , take over downtown bars and restaurants , and stage stunt design to go viral on Twitter . Last year , it mat up forced . But this yr , company tried a little harder to make certain their effort at least had a tech tie - in .
There were search - and - deliverance dogs delivering cell phone barrage fire packs , selfie stations patronise by clean production , and TV show gimmicks that were both entertaining and a little creepy . Yes , these were shameless marketing gambit , but at least this year they were fun — and made a lot more sense .
The No . 1 problem you ’ll have at any festival is keeping your twist juiced up throughout the day . Beloved battery pack maker Mophie determine to solve that problem with a stunt that even the most wearied SXSW attendee could n’t help but love : on - requirement Mophies deliver by St. Bernard puppy .
All you had to do was tweet a screenshot of your sound concealment with its battery on its last stage and hashtag it # mophierescue . There was no guarantee that a pup would show up to save you , but just the probability was enough to keep some of us going . Even well : The St. Bernards were deliverance from the St. Bernard Rescue Foundation .
Lyft was South by Southwest ’s prescribed drive - partake in cooperator , but the festival ’s mould of blessing was n’t enough for the company . So Lyft direct the promotional blitz one step further with Magic Mode , which promised a ride in a extra car during the interfering meter . try as I might to request one in the hope that a 1963 blank Bentley would whisk me away from the heat and randomness , it did n’t pan out — but I did see a few golden passengers shlep around Austin in Teslas , Ferrari Spiders , and that Bentley .
PayPal integration was also part of the promotional tie-up - in . Riders who used PayPal to compensate for their Lyfts on iOS grow a discount on their Magic Mode ride .
SXSW is ground zero for unusual parties , but the weirdest invitation I receive was from McDonald ’s . The fast food caller set up a gargantuan collapsible shelter with free French Roger Fry , maple bacon bourbon Old - Fashioneds ( which were move by the clip I showed up ) , and DJs spinning sea bass - pound melodic phrase . The technical school angle ? Ronald McDonald statues beat with phoney smartphones . sign engraft near the bogus Ronalds invite attendees to take selfies with the creepy - looking fashion model , which plenty of people took advantage of , but the company was by far the most obvious endeavour by a brand to look hip by SXSW association .
But , hey , spare fries .
There are no children at SXSW Interactive , but PBS appealed to the kidskin in all of us with the PBS Anywhere Lounge , where Cookie Monster ( and his somebody ) were a hit as before long as the Austin Convention Center unfold . The lounge was a low - cay affair , full of couches and plugs for festival - goers to relax and recharge , but the highlight was a step - and - repetition with Cookie Monster . Our own Leah Yamshon jumped at the opportunity for a photo opp with theSesame Streetstar , and we could n’t even be sore about this blatant attempt to appeal to our sense of childhood nostalgia .
What good way to advertise your social media management tool than a 12 - soul political party cruiser bedight with a gargantuan hooter ? That ’s the strategy Hootsuite take this year , hitting the streets of Austin with asort - of wheel bus .
You could spot the multi - person cycle from a mile away — mostly due to the fantastically large Hootsuite bird of Minerva ( known as Owly ) attach to its roof . Riders were whisked away every 30 minutes from Hootsuite ’s home base — a business district bar — and take around the pattern center radius on mystery escapade with team challenges , workouts , and giveaways . In the heat of mid - day Austin , I find myself staring wistfully at the wheel as it cruised through the streets . That bird of Minerva for certain provided plenty of shade .
Dove is waging a societal media safari to promote women to open positivity online ( because that ’s a trouble , plain ) , so the company typeset up workshop flat across the street from the Austin Convention Center with a “ talk Beautiful ” wall . Passersby could send their own tweets , hashtagged with # speakbeautiful , and see them pop up on the wall .
But the Dove wall was hiding an oasis : the Ipsos Girls ’ Lounge . There , women sipped potable and hash out business . In the back , producers of the Makers documentary serial on powerful cleaning lady were gussying up ladies to appear on camera as part of an movement to collect a million women ’s stories . An Ipsos repp assure me that the radical sets up space near major male person - dominated conferences to give women a safe , positive place to internet , get sureness coaching job , and prep for the next coming together . That has little to do with Dove easy lay , but at least the company shared distance with a good cause .
Jaguar celebrated villainous minds at a South by Southwest camp yell The Boffin ’s Lab . The locus ’s three stories contained all the tech a British villain would need to make a getaway — including , of class , a brand new Jaguar XE , which does n’t even come to the States until 2016 .
HBO loves to promoteGame of Thronesat South by Southwest — last twelvemonth , the companionship hype the season four premiere with an Oculus Rift tie - in that drew long short letter of virtual reality - loving Jon Snow devotee . This year , the web partner with Brooklyn design studio apartment Red Paper Heart to make an immersive sword - slashing experience that turn every GoT lover into Arya Stark .
After waiting in a looooong phone line , fan had their exposure engage in the Iron Throne , a photo that was then converted into a virtualGame of Thronesportrait blocked by rocks and brambles that had to be slashed away with a somewhat telling Bluetooth blade . The reward ? A portrait of your very own to share on social networks , of course .
Most companies represent their SXSW events at existing bars and restaurant , but A&E decide to build areal - life Bates Motelto celebrate the return of itsPsychoprequel , which premiere March 9 . The connection pulled a alike stunt at last year ’s festival , but it was just a facade — this yr , A&E build a structure that could really officiate as a hotel and invite guests to stay there in a ribbing cite to SXSW ’s notoriously hard to come by hotel rooms .
The promotional draw - in crap a minuscule more horse sense when you consider that SXSW cover pic as well as technical school . And it ’s a little more interesting than your average promotion . In fact , HBO could consider building a full - weighing machine Westeros for its stunt at next year ’s festival ( because there will be one , of course ) .
Fact : Your smartphone screenland is repellent . That ’s why Windex testify up and took over a recession at Mashable House to spread awareness about the clean phone causal agency . The clean intersection ship’s company adjust up a “ Windex Selfie Station , ” or a jumbo mirror with a camera inside that take in passably terrible photos . The mirror was really clean , presumptively because Windex . After bring three stripe - destitute selfies , Mashable House attendant were encouraged to sign in to their Twitter , Facebook , or Instagram account to share the picture ( and spread the countersign about Windex ) .
The company ’s corner also featured a charging station , which might have been a heavy selling point if not for Mophie ’s shop right across the street with battery - delivering St. Bernard puppies .
