Winter is here, which means the experience industry seasonality is slowing down. But the best brands don’t let the colder months pass by without an exciting experience to bring them closer to their consumers. 

We at AnyRoad give thanks for these eight incredible activationsand events that lean into the ice and snow. So get inspired and learn from the best with some of these past (and present) brand activations and events!

Hot Wheels Champion Experience

“Hot Wheels Champion Experience combines exhilarating digital and hands-on play in a 16,000 sq ft immersive environment for all ages. Imagine, create, and experience Hot Wheels like never before! Collect exclusive digital badges and in-experience video across ten interactive challenges and three other traditional Hot Wheels challenges.” - Hot Wheels Champion Experience Site

Hot Wheels takes advantage of the cold winter season for an indoor immersion. A $32 ticket will give you 90 minutes inside the experience, where adults and kids can design their digital cars, build custom tracks, and more through using tech.

Using tech to enhance an experience is an excellent play for winter events since outdoor space is limited to heated rentals and warmer climates. Virginia, where the Hot Wheels Champion Experience is, definitely is not in the latter. 

Why we love this approach: This is a great event to introduce kids and their parents to the brand if they aren’t familiar with it and even reignite the love of former fans and their families. It’s a two-demographic play that hits multiple audiences and creates an experience that stands out.

Coca-Cola Christmas Truck Tour

You better watch out; you better not cry; the Coca-Cola Christmas Truck is coming to the UK! Coca-Cola is known for its traveling experiences, including the World Cup Experience and their Christmas Truck Tour. Every year, they integrate their digital and commercial advertising with what goes around the country, letting consumers experience their campaigns firsthand and tap into the Christmas Spirit. 

The tour kicked off in Glasgow on 24 November and had a planned stop in Edinburgh the following day with many more locations across Great Britain, but it doesn’t end there. Another ‘holiday caravan’ will be touring the US! 

Marketing Week elaborated on the tour’s specifics, saying they were “offering an array of festive experiences for visitors, including games, photo opportunities, and the Coca-Cola Christmas choir; the drinks giant has partnered with Neighbourly to raise funds for local community causes.” 

Why we love this approach: Taking the truck on the road is a smart move for a large CPG brand like Coca-Cola; since they have a wider distribution, it allows them to reach more fans in more places while still attracting the attention of new consumers. This also allows them, if they so choose to use data collection, to understand the buying behavior and purchase intentions of those who attend the event.

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Sony’s Wonderverse

You don’t need to buy a truck or rent an entire space; sometimes, a partnership with a mall will do. Sony Wonderverse is an immersive entertainment destination in Chicago with attractions from the studio’s film, TV series, and video games, including Jumanji, Ghostbusters, Bad Boys, Zombieland, and Uncharted.

The 45,000 square-foot experience will be indoors for the winter and will host “a hybrid of physical and immersive multi-media experiences, interactive installations, dynamic attractions, and themed dining experiences,” Sony said to Deadline, from escape rooms and virtual reality and racing simulations to bumper cars.

“Wonderverse is an exciting expansion for Sony Pictures’ growing location-based entertainment experiences,” said Jeffrey Godsick, Sony Pictures EVP of Global Partnerships and Brand Management and Head of Location Based Entertainment. “Experiences like Wonderverse allow audiences to enjoy our brands in new ways by immersing themselves in some of their favorite stories.”

Why we love this approach: Creating a ‘brand home’ away from home is a smart idea; setting up an installation for a longer period of time in one space allows consumers to plan travel to your destination throughout the colder months.

Jo Malone’s Galaxy of Gifts

Winter is travel season, meaning train stations and airports are great places to get additional visibility.  Enter Jo Malone’s pop-up, A Galaxy of Gifts!

“The Estée Lauder Companies-owned brand opened a number of ‘gifting-on-the-go’ pop-ups in Birmingham and Manchester throughout the holiday season as part of its ‘Scented Spectacular’ campaign with World Duty Free,” notes an attendee.

‍This is a fantastic example of meeting your consumers where they’re at. The brand used their understanding of their database, revenue seasonality, and demographic information to decide to make last-minute gifts easier than ever. 

Why we love this approach: It shows you don’t have to be immersive, although that certainly does help. Just showcasing a product, creating an eye-catching installation, and fulfilling a need stylishly can be effective depending on your target market. 

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Chanel No. 5 Airport Display

Chanel No. 5 took a similar airport approach to Jo Malone, showcasing CPG products, especially luxury, thriving in Singapore's Changi Airport this winter gift-giving season. 

What we love about this approach: A huge part of activation success is knowing where you need to host your pop up in order to make the most impact. Whether that’s foot traffic, holiday revenue, or event participation is up to you. 

Chanel No. 5 understood that their product was great for last-minute gifts, and has a better footprint in Singapore. So, they designed something to attract the eye of their buyer — someone who appreciates luxury and was traveling for the holidays. 

Champagne Laurent-Perrier Outdoor Igloo Restaurant

When outdoor events aren’t on the table due to the cold, remember it’s the season for miracles! The miracle in question: heated igloos. Champagne Laurent-Perrior partnered with Coppa Club to create an outdoor dining experience, with the London skyline serving as a backdrop.

Brands teaming up, especially food and beverage brands, can create powerful outdoor experiences that are memorable and generate tons of brand awareness and revenue. 

What we love about this approach: This isn’t a surprise; more and more alcohol and drink brands are getting in on the restaurant action, especially when it comes to brand homes and beyond. But what really pops is the partnership. When brands team up, they can create more memorable experiences.

High West Whiskey Train

Got a brand home that’s stuck in one place? Make like High West and bring your distillery on the road! The High West Whiskey Train is a pop-up bar meant to replicate the experience of going to their brand home, High West Distillery and Tasting Room, where they guide visitors through their distillery process and showcase their whiskey. And since whiskey warms you up, you won’t find a better opportunity to keep your outdoor pop-ups going!

Why we love this approach: By bringing an established experience to another location, you can test the waters for new consumers, distribution opportunities, and how well your brand translates. Distilling a brand (no pun intended) to its essence, especially when you have the space to do so in a brand home, can be tricky but worth the investment. 

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Subaru WinterFest

Subaru has been running WinterFest since 2017, bringing a nationwide groundbreaking concert and lifestyle tour. A snow sports lover’s dream, Subaru leans into the active, adventurous part of their consumer base to bring skiers, snowboarders, and more.

Their 2017 program involved warm ski chalet-inspired trailers with viewing decks on top, live music, and plenty of giveaways from partners like local OZO coffee, Harmon Kardon, Nordica, Lib Tech, Thule, Klean Kanteen, and Under Armour. 2024 looks even bigger, bringing new partners like Solo Stove, Luno, and more! 

Why we love this approach: Subaru also has upped their social justice messaging and position, offering a $1 donation for every Subaru information form received to the teams raising and training Avalanche Rescue Dogs in the mountains they’ll be traveling to. Now, that’s a value exchange!

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The cold never bothered us anyway!

Don’t just see winter as a time for your brand to hibernate. Use the best parts of the season to reach your consumers, using innovative experiences and consumer understanding to give them the perfect moment. 

The eight brands we listed do a great job of understanding their target audience, what they care about, and where they’ll be, then meeting their consumers where they’re at. It’s the right time, place, and magical moment to convert new consumers and bring fans closer to your brand.