SXSW kicked off Friday in Austin, bringing tech companies, wearables, movie premieres and TV brands to the festival that celebrates everything new, exciting and trending.
Part of that is debuting new shows and talking to content creators, but brands have also turned to major sponsorships and activations on the ground that have people talking. Below are just a few of those TV brands taking SXSW by storm so far:
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A&E:
Psycho prequel Bates Motel has a real motel in Austin for SXSW, a replica that features props and decor from the show that also invited fans to compete for a select few spots in the hotel’s rooms.
USA:
The cable net’s upcoming show, Mr. Robot, will debut at SXSW on March 17 as one of the five selected TV series to appear in the Episodic screenings. Other shows featured in Episodic this year include Rashida Jones’ Angie Tribeca, The Comedians, iZombie and Lifetime’s UnREAL. Mr. Robot, starring Christian Slater, will premiere on USA this June.
Nat Geo:
For its series Life Below Zero, National Geographic Channel introduced an “Escape the Cold” simulator at SXSW where fans visit the cold climate of Alaska and complete challenges in order to get back to warm and cozy Austin.
AOL:
Morgan Spurlock spoke at SXSW this weekend about his upcoming docuseries Connected. He called the digital series “freeing,” saying that working for an online space like AOL gives documentarians like himself real creative freedom that’s hard to find elsewhere. Connected premieres March 31.
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Fox:
LEGO unveiled its Simpsons-themed Kwik-E-Mart at SXSW, complete with mini Bart and Apu as well as a Squishee dispenser.
Yahoo:
With the show about to enter its sixth season on Yahoo Screen, Community creator Dan Harmon along with stars Joel McHale, Alison Brie and Gillian Jacobs talked about the future of the groundbreaking comedy. The group said the support from Yahoo has made the broadcast-to-digital shift much easier, and fans should expect a very similar show this year with a few small surprises - notably guest star Nathan Fillion and possibly another paintball episode.
NBC:
The broadcaster went to the festival this year with a virtual reality experience tied into its recent 40th anniversary show for SNL. The experience, a partnership with Samsung, puts fans into the Jerry Seinfeld monologue from the show with a Samsung Gear VR headset.
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HBO:
Game of Thrones’ season five premiere is so close fans can taste it, so HBO celebrated the new season with the interactive “SXSWesteros” exhibit, which introduced a new themed beer (Three-Eyed Raven) from Ommegang and an interactive sword fight. The network also has Silicon Valley-themed pedicabs going around the city for the festival.
[Image courtesy of Nat Geo]
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