The Blog
Dazzling Event Design Builds Brands
When it comes to creating magical moments, we’ve got lots of tricks up our sleeves (and experience under our belts). Our latest mystique? Teleportation. Turning bustling cities into secret gardens and sandy beaches…
Recently, we launched Pernod Ricard’s Champagne Perrier-Jouët and Malibu Island Spiced Rum brands in two separate NYC events, featuring custom experiential design that illuminated each brand’s distinctive personality and transported guests to magical places.
The real trick? It’s no secret — it’s just really thoughtful design. Check out some of our favorite design highlights from each event below.
Perrier-Jouët: The Enchanting Tree
On June 5th, Grow conjured an outdoor evening fête for Perrier-Jouët celebrating Spring and their collaboration with award-winning designer Tord Boontje. Perrier-Jouët: The Enchanting Tree was co-hosted by actress and author Ali Larter and celebrity DJ Harley Vierra-Newton, within the al-fresco rooftop of Hotel Americano in NYC.
Using Tord Boontje as our muse, our décor kept the spotlight on The Enchanting Tree collaboration with natural verdant elements while highlighting the brand’s artistic heritage through beautifully hand-crafted paper flowers and other whimsical touches.
White wire garden chairs resemble leaves in very mod forest.
Bottle display adorned with handmade paper flowers and artist designed metal butterflies.
Artistically arranged living green wall bar.
A Manzanita branch installation inspired by award-winning designer Tord Boontje’s Perrier-Jouët The Enchanting Tree.
Communal table with live green runner and fresh flora.
Tord Boontje’s Perrier-Jouët The Enchanting Tree atop communal table with live green runner and fresh flora.
Styled seating vignettes against stunning rooftop views.
Model/DJ Harley Viera-Newton in front of artistically arranged living green wall surrounds and Tord Boontje’s “Until Dawn” curtains.
Perrier-Jouët champagne flute in Tord Boontje-inspired champagne tree.
Tord Boontje-inspired light shades.
Handmade paper flowers amongst Tord Boontje’s charm necklace
Malibu Island Spiced Rum Launch
To announce its new low-calorie rum brand, Malibu Island Spiced, we helped Malibu host an exclusive launch party in New York City with special guest and spokeswoman fashion designer and author Lauren Conrad. Each design and décor detail was created with Malibu Island Spiced in mind — whether creatively integrating their logo or bringing the brand to life through clever lifestyle cues, guests were treated to the very best of beach-glam.
We completely transformed the usually dark and dim PH-D of Dream Downtown into a bright and chic Malibu Island Spiced oasis.
In a nod to Malibu’s party-on-the-beach reputation, we mixed natural elements such as drift wood and fresh orchids with glam accessories, including a custom step-and-repeat made out of real palm leaves.
Our DJ booth was an oscillating light show with a custom die-cut of the logo to compliment the upbeat music all night.
It’s all in the details…
We designed an “Instaprint Wall”, which had printers that automatically printed out Instagrams that had #IslandSpiced in their captions, creating a fun collage of all the guests’ Instagrams from the night.
A beach-glam introduction to Malibu Island Spiced.
SXSW Recap: 3 Ways to Make Your Brand Stand Out at Big Events
Thao (left) and Jen (right): our trusty SXSW “researchers”
— by Associate Account Directors Thao Bui and Jen Clines
SXSW: We came. We saw. We conquered. And we… remembered?
SXSW is awe-some and overwhelming — an experiential marketer’s dream and nightmare. At these kind of massive conference events/festivals there is so much to take in and do at any given moment — so many brands vying for your attention — leaving a lasting impression has never been more important. And while we didn’t walk away with any serious oh-my-god-did-you-see-that moments (tough crowd), we were reminded of three simple (important) marketing tenets that agencies sometimes forget when trying to conjure up with The Next Best Thing.
Chevy’s winning fleet of free transpo.
1. Give ‘em what they need.. for free
Yes, there are freebies everywhere at SXSW. But the ones you’ll remember (and appreciate) the most are the ones that get you from A to B. Literally. With venues and events spread throughout the city, Chevy’s fleet of wrapped vehicles played a major role in keeping attendees moving happily around the city. And when we say fleet, we don’t mean a dozen cars, we ‘re talking fifty wrapped cars with friendly and informative drivers behind the wheels. The clincher? Tweeting Chevy your location using the #ChevySXSW hashtag and having a car come directly to YOU.
Other brands helped out with free transport, too — like Oreo’s pedicabs and National Geographic’s rides around town in the Dukes of Hazard’s General Lee, the A-Team’s Van and Back to the Future’s Delorean. But Chevy won this brand battle with their strength in numbers, impeccable organization and excellent use of social media.
NBC’s Revolution’s set recreation
NBC’s Revolution’s “natural” charging station
2. KISS (Keep It Simple, Stupid)
SXSW is all about technology — but the abundance of monitors, apps and charging stations from one booth to the next can be a little overwhelming. NBC’s Revolution recreated their show’s “world” (gasp, you mean no power?!) by providing unplugged gaming (ping pong, shuffle board, cornhole and chess), oh-so-elementary chalk boards where attendees could respond to daily questions (“How do you recharge?”) and free bike rentals to badge holders. Sure, they still had the requisite charging station, but they did it their way, cleverly integrating it into “nature.”
And in the middle of the gaming expo, amidst a sea of monitors, headphones and AV equipment, paper company Paper Because created a “Paper Devices Only” hotspot — a charming library chock full of real books and magazines where attendees could take a comfortable seat and simply read the old fashioned way (no Kindles here). Again, going against the grain to leave a lasting, ahem, imprint.
Blackberry House at SXSW
3. Don’t half-ass it
If you’re going to invite people into your brand experience, carry them all the way through. Blackberry secured side-by-side lots on Rainey Street to showcase their new Blackberry 10 phones. Complete with an open bar, demo stations, free custom shirts, special events and comfortable outdoor seating — everyone stayed, took their time and relaxed in the fully branded environment.
Salesforce Cloud Lounge at SXSW. Photo: Salesforce Marketing Cloud Facebook
Salesforce and Jet Blue took over a two-story venue on 5th and Brazos that pumped “clouds” out on to the street. The lounge had bright, bold and clear branding giving guests a nice space to check emails and get complimentary refreshments while listening to good music.
Bottom line: it’s a cluster out there. In an overwhelming sea of brands battling for attention, what will you do to make consumers remember you?
TED2013 Inspires Hope (and 3 insights into smarter Marketing)
By Tami Anderson, Managing Director
Everything you’ve heard about TED2013: The Young. The Wise. The Undiscovered. is true. And then some. A collection of intelligent, inspiring people from a range of occupations, ages and geographies who create a collective energetic buzz throughout the event that rivals any caffeinated stimulant out there — call it truly “clean fuel” for the brain. Above all it is hopeful. To be among this many creative, smart and innovative people in one place gives you hope that some of our biggest challenges — which sometimes seem insurmountable as we go about our daily lives — can and will be solved.
Three insights for smarter marketing
Along with the big lessons, smaller ones abound — inspiration you can take back to your home or office. Here are a few lessons from the Feb 28 TED2013 sessions our co-founder Gabrey Means and I attended that we feel certain will help make our team better marketers:
TED2013 speaker John McQuorter. Photo: Ted.com
Insight 1: Look through the right lens
Linguist John McQuorter’s fascinating talk The Linguisic Miracle of Texting framed texting it in an entirely new light. Instead of viewing it as a “dumbed down” version of writing and the sure demise of literacy as we know it (which many non-millentials do), he framed it as a digital version of casual speech or, as he calls it, “fingered speech.” It could even be considered a critical new communication skill. According to McQuorter, being fluent in spoken language, written language and writing-like-speaking language is an unconscious balancing act that allows each “speaker” to expand his or her linguistic repertoire. Texting could actually be making us smarter!
TED2013 speaker Adam Spencer. Photo: Ted.com
Insight 2: Sometimes the storytelling transcends the story
A morning radio host and mathematician from Australia, Adam Spencer had the TED crowd on their feet with his Hunting Monsters Prime talk on the search amongst pro and amateur mathematicians for the largest prime number. On the surface, there are few drier topics, but Spencer combined his self-effacing personal history and the history of the search for prime numbers through the ages with (very importantly) a 3-step lesson in how to identify a prime number so the non number geeks amongst us could follow along (well, maybe just us marketers), to engage the audience completely. A great storyteller transcends his or her content by finding and fueling the connection point to draw in the audience. We’ll never see prime numbers the same way again.
Ted2013 speaker Rose George. Photo: Ted.com
Insight 3: You can rebrand the unmentionable
Rose George enthralled us in her talk Go Home And Talk SH*T with a story of sanitation and the simple solve that could save the lives of the 4,000 children who die every day of diarrhea. Something we in the developed world take for granted — the humble toilet — is actually not available to 40% of the world, causing the spread of deadly disease. And this is both an economic and cultural issue. George cites how Japan fundamentally changed their approach to sanitation by “rebranding” toilets into a compelling conversation piece and status symbol: “In the early 19th century, they tried selling soap as healthy. No one bought it. They tried selling it as sexy, and everyone bought it.”
San Francisco style: The Color Run paints a different kind of race
By Brie Votto, Assistant Account Manager
No really, The Color Run IS the happiest 5-K on Earth.
Last weekend, I ventured across San Francisco to Candlestick Park to participate in The Color Run, an untimed 5-K race (followed by a massive dance party) where thousands of participants wearing all white workout gear become moving canvases for blasts of brightly colored powder along each kilometer of the race. Surely, Jackson Pollock would approve.
People who don’t take themselves too seriously will love this race. Because when you get to run through a color cloud that looks like it could be billowing from the Willy Wonka factory — it’s impossible for even the grumpiest of runners to keep from smiling (while simultaneously throwing handfuls of colored powder at their friends). And who wouldn’t crack a smile running alongside banana suits, unicorns and gangs of tutu-wearing princesses? Business as usual in San Francisco.
#ColorRun–ing the social media game?
The Color Run, — now the largest 5-K series in the nation — is ripe for rampant sharing across a visually driven social landscape. Yet, incredibly, it doesn’t promote an official hashtag. (Uh, guys — call us. We can help.) However, a quick search for “ColorRun” on Twitter and Instagram yields countless photos and mentions of the event series.
Here’s a quick breakdown of hashtags used in Color Run-related tweets over the past year:
The Color Run will be back in The Bay Area (San Jose) in May. Don’t miss it twice: http://thecolorrun.com
Ex-rivals make peace and PR at Grow Marketing
Photo: Michael Short, Special To The Chronicle
“We were watching each other closely,” says Hughes. “I was always trying to one-up her.”
“Same,” says Means. “And she was good — too good.”
Our fearless leaders Cassie and Gabrey are featured in The Chronicle’s On the Town series in Sunday’s (1/20) newspaper, telling the fun story of how the two — former rivals — banded together to found Grow Marketing. And they reveal some of their favorite Bay Area hangouts.
Check out the full story here.
grow’s 12 days of inspiration… day 12: fist pumping
The Grow team is an inspired one. This holiday season, we’d like to share some of the people, places and things that inspire our work and lives. A gift of sorts — 12, to be exact — from us to you. We hope you will be inspired, too.
Chris Jaskot, Office Manager
On the twelfth day of inspiration…
Whether it’s fist pumping as one of Jersey’s own; slow dancing in what I like to call “Prom mode” to some doo-wop; sliding across the hard wood floor in my socks to a big band swing; or nodding my head to a good soulful groove or a knocking beat. No matter whether I’m rocking out or chilling out, it’s like the band follows me, and I’d have it no other way.
From the time my feet begin to bear the weight of the day, until I’m back nestled off into a dream, I want to hear a soundtrack. The feelings, emotions, and rhythms remind me that no matter what you’re going through, celebrating, ruminating on, or if you’re just zoning out — there is a song that can accompany you. I crave inspiration, and without fail, I find it in music every day.
Blast the radio, crank up a CD or LP, dig in to your iTunes library, fire up the Pandora or get busy with a new Spotify playlist. Whatever your medium, I hope the rhythm gets you and fills you like a gust of wind in a sail, carrying you through your day.
…
And there you have it… our 12 days of inspiration. Thanks for following along to discover what keeps the fires burning inside the hearts of our passionate team. Besides our clients, of course :)
Happy Holidays, from our family to yours.
grow’s 12 days of inspiration… day 11: fight or flight
The Grow team is an inspired one. This holiday season, we’d like to share some of the people, places and things that inspire our work and lives. A gift of sorts — 12, to be exact — from us to you. We hope you will be inspired, too.
Alyssa Asadoorian, Account Coordinator
On the eleventh day of inspiration… (a twofer!)
I am inspired by the most positive person I know — the one who smiles through it all: my Grandmother. Battling ovarian cancer for 12 years, and almost 90 years old… Never once have I heard her say anything negative about her condition. Thinking of her smile every day keeps me going and helps me stay positive.
Jen Clines, Associate Account Director
Whenever my work schedule and the weather allow, I pack up my gear and head off on an outdoor weekend adventure. Though the 3–5 hour Friday night drive is not exactly ideal, the experience of waking up in a beautiful place surrounded by the sounds of nature on Saturday morning makes every mile driven and gas dollar spent well worth it. The busy work week and stresses of city living melt away instantaneously, and I am immersed in sense of quiet and calm. There’s nothing quite like unplugging from the online world and plugging into the energy in it’s natural counterpart to truly reboot and recharge my entire being.
And even though being in nature physically removes me from my city-based weekday life, it simultaneously enhances it, as solutions and inspiration come more easily to a still mind. Roadblocks I was dealing with during the week disappear as solutions float into my mind, and ideas about new ways to approach tasks surface and start to evolve into more efficient and effective processes.
At the end of the weekend, I return to my desk feeling refreshed and ready to tackle the week’s work (and life in general) with new insight and inspiration, along with photos to help me tap into the way I feel in those remote locations when I can’t travel there physically. I share this inspiration with all of you through my image in this post.
grow’s 12 days of inspiration… day 10: getting dirty
The Grow team is an inspired one. This holiday season, we’d like to share some of the people, places and things that inspire our work and lives. A gift of sorts — 12, to be exact — from us to you. We hope you will be inspired, too.
Annie Leibovitz, Vogue, November 2004
Matt Hummel, Assistant Account Executive
On the tenth day of inspiration… (a twofer!)
Even as a young boy, I was fascinated by apparel, footwear and meticulous attention to detail. While any dreams my parents may have entertained about me playing football evaporated, it was clear I had an eye for art and design.
Fast forward 22 years, and I find inspiration daily in the pages of VOGUE. With editors as legendary as the designers they feature, the creative genius contained in each issue, each printed page and each web story consistently WOWS me. Exquisitely executed fashion editorial is the synthesis of culture, history, art, and the world at large. If a photo’s worth a thousand words, then a Vogue photo is worth at least two thousand.
Referencing the creative process, Vera Wang recently stated, “Anything or everything for the picture,” and she’s right. Everything. It’s the only way to authentically create epic visual tales. So, every day, when I approach fashion journalists, I remind myself, nothing’s impossible. After all, everything you can imagine can [in some form] be realized.
Shari Wagner, Associate Account Director
I don’t have a green thumb, but that didn’t stop me from getting my hands dirty to create this tiny natural garden under glass. Looking at my DIY terrarium that now sits on my desk reminds me every day to continue to invent, experiment, take risks and have fun!
grow’s 12 days of inspiration… day 9: BFFs
The Grow team is an inspired one. This holiday season, we’d like to share some of the people, places and things that inspire our work and lives. A gift of sorts — 12, to be exact — from us to you. We hope you will be inspired, too.
Kelsey ran from New York to San Francisco in honor of her best friend, Jill, who died from lung cancer. Photo: Kelsey Harrison
Cassie Hughes, Co-Founder, Strategy Director
On the ninth day of inspiration…
I am inspired by people. All people. If they are alive, they inspire me. Their stories, their wrinkles, their dreams, their struggles. I am so fortunate that I get to wake up with three of the greatest people on earth, and my day only gets better from there.
It’s taken me a lot of years to recognize that every person I see has something to teach me and some inspiration to share. So, I search that out everyday — no matter where I am or how tired I might be. People fuel me. When I need some inspiration, I look outward.
Last week, a young woman named Kelcey Harrison inspired me deeply. She literally ran across the entire U.S. (3,500 miles!), by herself, to raise money and awareness for Lung Cancer Research in honor of her best friend, Jill, who died from the disease. This gal gives a whole new level of meaning to “stop complaining and do something!”
I am inspired by her tenacity, bravery and sheer determination. I salute her heart for loving her friend so deeply; her body for never giving up; and her brain for believing she could make a difference. While in my next life I hope to be her friend, for now I will settle with the gratitude I have for how her story touched my life.
Wishing you all abundant inspiration this month and always.
grow’s 12 days of inspiration… day 8: culture club
The Grow team is an inspired one. This holiday season, we’d like to share some of the people, places and things that inspire our work and lives. A gift of sorts — 12, to be exact — from us to you. We hope you will be inspired, too.
Kim explores Fiji.
Kim Macke, Account Manager
On the eighth day of inspiration..
“Travel is more than the seeing of sights; it is a change that goes on, deep and permanent, in the ideas of living.” – Miriam Beard
Meeting individuals from around the world and witnessing their everyday life by partaking in cultural traditions, indulging in unique flavors of food and most importantly being freed from everyday routines opens my mind to a richer life.
There are various styles of exploring this world one page at a time, from backpacking to luxury accommodations, a solid booked schedule to landing in a foreign country with zero locked in plans (my favorite!) or even spending time learning a language or teaching the local children. Regardless of which you enjoy, the same explorations transpire and all us travelers are inspired by discovery.
