Digital Experiences

Client: Kingsford, Masterbuilt & Walmart
Project: Virtual Smokehouse Tour

CHALLENGE

Activate originally designed a custom-built kitchen with a grilling area, patio, covered seating container, and rooftop lounge for Kingsford & Masterbuilt to pop up in 50 Walmart parking lots over the course of 3-months.
Goals of the physical footprint:
- Opportunity to learn more about Kingsford charcoal and the Masterbuilt Gravity Series 560 Digital Charcoal Grill & Smoker from brand ambassadors and product displays.
- Feature local pit master cooking one of their own recipes on the 560 and select stops would have featured live music.
On March 7, 2020, the decision was made to postpone the Smokehouse Tour indefinitely due to the emerging coronavirus pandemic. Ultimately, it was cancelled altogether as it became clear the pandemic was just getting started.
In mid-April, Activate was challenged to propose a virtual/digital version of the Smokehouse Tour, where consumers could experience the tour from their phone.
After just two weeks, a plan was in place and by May 2nd, the Virtual Smokehouse Tour had launched.

SOLUTION

Created the Virtual Smokehouse Tour which was a 19-week video content series featuring high-profile pitmasters from around the country.

The Virtual Smokehouse Tour included:
- Pre-recorded tutorials lead by pitmasters would be posted weekly on both the Kingsford & Masterbuilt Facebook and Instagram pages.
- An IGTV live 15-minute Q&A session with the pitmaster would follow the premiere allowing followers to chime in with questions & comments.
- Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter would be the main promotional platforms for the tour.
- All three platforms would promote a Master Your Flavor-themed sweepstakes in which consumers posted to enter for a chance to win Kingsford Charcoal or a new Masterbuilt 560.
Due to The Clorox Company put a company-wide moratorium on advertising on Facebook and Instagram, as a response to Facebook’s hate speech policies the full tour had to make another pivot.
- Pivot: Moved the tour onto Twitter, YouTube and Pinterest instead of hosting any content on Facebook and Instagram.

MY ROLE

Collaborated in concepting for both the physical and digital experiences.
Managed the creative delivers, wrote social copy for posts, presented designs to clients for creative approval and supplied the creative files to the respective teams to post on their social channels.
- Designed posts for Facebook, Instagram in feed and story posts, and Twitter for the first half of the tour. Displaying samples of these below.
- Designed posts for Pinterest, Twitter and YouTube for the second half of the tour.
- Sample Video of event on YouTube
Laid out the social posting flow for each week including which platforms to post on, how often and what to post.
Helped facilitate and create the plan to pivot into different social channels.

CHALLENGE

Generate and increase sales for new product - reusable isolation gowns and portable handwashing stations.
Turn a fabrication company into a reliable distributor for consumers to buy from.
Manage, organize, and help the client transition into this new outlet.

SOLUTION

MY ROLE

Researched other brands to ensure the validity of Britten Safety Solutions by comparison.
Designed the Shopify site from start to finish while working closely with the brand’s IT team to ensure it ran properly, had all the correct tax and shipping information and properly represented the products.
Created custom, industry-specific landing pages for each mail merge sent to create new leads as well as managed the design of the newsletters so they matched the look of the website.
Handled all website changes, promotions, product changes, and pop up ads.

CHALLENGE

Position Michelob ULTRA as the go-to beer choice for young, fitness-focused beer drinkers by hosting nationally scalable, socially responsible interactive virtual experiences.
Drive brand awareness with consumers in the south east region by hosting a top-tier virtual fitness class hosted by a nationally known instructor paired with recovery techniques and a post-workout happy hour/Q&A.
Increase market penetration and local reach by fostering relationships with studio partners and instructors who will be the recipients of donations made by attendees during Virtual MOVEMENT by Michelob ULTRA.
Create a group-focused fitness experience that shows consumers that Michelob ULTRA is what empowers us to be as fit and fun as we can be.

SOLUTION

Influencer led classes - Fitness professionals led live virtual fitness classes featuring hyper localized studio partnerships from some of the most fitness-forward cities in the country paired with a kit to enhance the experience and drive sales.
Drive to retail - Along with the in-box beer redemption, the microsite included to the “beer finder” on the primary Michelob ULTRA webpage. This is where attendees navigated to find a store nearby where they could grab a case (or two) of their new favorite fun & fit beer.
Long-term engagement - Content was promoted on social but went live online within the MOVEMENT by Michelob ULTRA microsite along with a gallery of user generated content.

MY ROLE

Co-concepted the experience, kit elements and helped transition a physical event into a digital one.
Creative directed the website design within my team as well as worked closely with a freelance web design company to bring our designs to life .
Managed the production of all print materials utilizing the client’s brand guidelines to create the packaging and website design.

CHALLENGE

Create and design a virtual event that feels physical to participants.
Engage with industry professionals to foster relationships and grow personal connections.
Express empathy for the current challenges of small business owners.
Overall tone is empathetic, uplifting, positive, and connective.
High-level highlight of Adobe Magento’s programs and services.

SOLUTION

Created an exclusive virtual networking experience utilizing BlueJeans for the Magento Commerce team and other like-minded professionals.
Prior to the event, attendees received a custom Welcome Kit that contained everything needed to pair with their favorite spirit and craft a classic Paloma cocktail.
Opportunity to follow along and participate with celebrity mixologist Pam Wiznitzter as she demonstrated how to create and customize the perfect Paloma.
Attendees broke out into “breakout sessions” where they were able to have more focused discussion with other commerce professionals.

MY ROLE

Concepted the event experience.
Designed the box by pulling inspiration from Adobe Magento’s Instagram posts, color choices and the coloring of a Paloma to design the experience.
Laid out how the products would be represented in the box for the consumer experience.
Oversaw and managed the design of the recipe card and welcome card to match the box experience.