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There’s no disputing that experiential marketing has become increasingly important to break through the content clutter over the past few years.
Formerly mostly a part of Comic-Con, now experiential marketing is a year-long game, and Adult Swim is determined to win it. Experiential marketing is not only an option, but the network’s responsibility, says Jill King, senior vice president of marketing and partnerships for Cartoon Network and Boomerang.
“It’s what makes the Adult Swim brand,” said King. “We get out there and dimensionalize the brands in the real world as much as we can. That’s what people expect.”
Lucky fans in several U.S. cities can expect Adult Swim’s annual “Adult Swim on the Green” outdoor fan experience this summer, after kicking off in Phoenix on June 13. The traveling Adult Swim circus will move on to visit Spokane, Portland, Park City, Boise and Santa Barbara throughout the month, with a second leg of the tour yet to be announced.
The event features all-new carnival games, food trucks, trivia, music, free show swag, all-new network content and prizes. Anyone 18 and older can join in on the carnival revelry for free, with the purchase of a $5 food and beverage voucher.
“Everything we do is rooted in giving back to our fans and the people who love Adult Swim and bringing fun and interesting experiences they’ve never had before,” said King. “It’s not about pushing specific shows or marketing sales messages to this group of people. It’s strictly about creating an amazing experience for them.”
This year, Adult Swim has ushered Geico into the fold as its new partner, teaming up for the “Geico Prize Eye,” a giant eye-shaped prize wheel that fans spin to win exclusive freebies.
Each night along the tour, Adult Swim will unveil unique “Things You’ve Never Seen” screenings of exclusive pilots, specials and episodes on a massive custom LED wall under the stars.
At some locations, the Rickmobile will be crashing the party. The Rick & Morty-themed mobile pop-up shop has already taken the country by storm since it began its “Don’t Even Trip Road Trip” across America in May, and will continue to trundle up and down the country on its 40 city tour through October, culminating in a visit to New York Comic-Con.
Fans can take pictures with the Rickmobile (above), nab free premiums, gain access to limited supply merchandise, and of course, follow Rick’s journey on Twitter and Instagram (@Rickmobile).
RELATED: Why Adult Swim’s ‘Rick & Morty’ Might be the Most Perfect Show Ever Made
Most events like Adult Swim on the Green would make the obvious stops in New York, Chicago and Los Angeles. But so far, those cities are nowhere to be found on the itinerary. And that’s by design.
“A lot of big entertainment brands tend to go to the big cities because that’s where the masses are,” said King. “But we feel it’s important to give to those smaller markets. It’s one of the things we pride ourselves on.”
While this event could just become one of many summer activities lost in the shuffle in New York, when Adult Swim swings into Boise, it could become the thing to do.
“We go to where are fans are. We don’t make them come to us,” said King. “[These places] are where we have highly engaged fans, where we hear from fans, or where we have a greater opportunity to bring in more fans.”
To promote the tour, Adult Swim will utilize a blend of in-market pushes on social and digital (#AdultSwimOnTheGreen), and a national push leveraging the linear channel in partnership with Geico.
“In-market, we like to push two weeks before we get to there so fans know it’s coming and make sure they reserve a spot,” said King. “The national message is letting fans know it’s coming back around. Go to the site and see if it’s coming to a market near you.”
Experiential marketing like Adult Swim on the Green is nothing new for the network, and it isn’t going anywhere.
“Tons of research says millennials value experiences over products,” said King. “You can definitely expect more events and experiences from Adult Swim. It’s something we’re really going to push into. It will continue to be a key part of our overall strategy.”
For more information on the Adult on the Swim tour, including locations and dates, check out its website.
[All images courtesy of Adult Swim]
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