For example: You can start a week working on some super-sweet outdoor boards and by the end of the week find yourself standing in a wrestling ring with 4 giant mascots playing a game of musical chairs at a masked wrestling event.

(Me thinks you won’t see what follows on the next episode of Mad Men.)

Stripes had an opportunity to be the title sponsor for a masked wrestling event in Corpus Christi called “Lucha Libre.” The event fit perfectly with the Ultimate Breakfast Taco Showdown promotion scheduled to be happening in-market at the time. Sometimes the stars just align, rarely does it involve angry men in masks performing a high-flying ballet of violence, but it does happen.

The radio for the promotion fit perfectly with the vibe of the event.

Check it out. [audio:http://thefurnace.firehouseagency.com/wp-content/uploads/Taco-Babies-No-Music1.mp3|titles=Taco Babies No Music]

All in all it was one of those sponsorships creatives dream about: you get free reign of the perfect event for your brand AND there are flying midgets involved.

The first step: hyperventilate. Second step: happy dance. Third step: get to work figuring out how to make this event unmistakably and completely owned by Stripes.

We wanted a presence from the front of the stadium (Whataburger Field) all the way to the ring.

First things first: the entrance. We designed a Stripes booth that would feature a custom “Thumbador” ring where kids could put tiny masks over their thumbs and thumb wrestle like a pro…if there were such a thing. The action was to be streamed live onto a TV mounted on the tent behind them. The idea was to go beyond just a presence and deliver an experience. Here’s how it turned out:

In the tent, face painters decked out folks on their very own Luchador masks (in Stripes colors).

Of course the mascots would need a proper lucha makeover. As luck would have it, Stripes has a seamstress on hand for just such an eventuality. She did an excellent job of bringing our designs to life.

We then had the luchafied mascots greet folks as they filed in the door and past our booth and flanked the booth with our giant Stripes cup.

Inside the stadium, Stripes signage was everywhere and the mascots worked the crowd between fights, keeping the energy level crazy high.

During intermission we staged our musical chairs event billed as the Stripes Mascot Folding Chair Challenge (sounds a bit more dangerous than “musical chairs”). We coached the actors to really get into the lucha spirit and they took the advice to heart…big time.

The taco was scripted to win so the audience could be awarded an exit coupon for one free taco in support of the Ultimate Breakfast Taco Showdown promotion. What was not scripted (exactly) was that he would win by body slamming the beer bottle and then dropping a DDT on him from off the ropes. The crowd totally  loved it.

While the crowd was still on its feet, we started flinging t-shirts into the audience with a giant slingshot. The first couple actually went completely out of the stadium, but we quickly improved our aim eventually taking out an entire row of senior citizens who had mistakenly showed up expecting to see Justin Bieber on Ice (ok, that may not have actually happened).

The crowd was louder and more into the event at this point than at any time during the show including the evening’s main event.

Our exhaustive post-event research has already revealed some surprising insights:

At exit, everyone in attendance received a coupon and redemption is at about 8% as of today (not too shabby).

Go big. That’s just how it has to be when Firehouse does a promotion, we go gonzo, all the way to 11, rip the nob off, light the fuse and walk away looking cool as the whole thing blows up in a beautiful ball of awesome.

Sometimes, we’ll even get tarted up a bit in the spirit of the moment.

Face paint over entire head + 4000% humidity = blissful near-death experience, mild hallucinations.

The next morning, we discovered the press (no doubt notified, annoyed, badgered and possibly threatened by our very own mistress of PR, Kari) had given us a little love.  Bonus w00t!

Mask Warriors logo courtesy of Lucha Libre USA
News clipping courtesy of the Corpus Christi Caller Times

In an effort to capitalize on the trend of staycations and daycations, the NH Division of Travel and Tourism created a campaign and contest geared toward residents, aptly titled, “I love it here.” And what better way to promote tourism in your state and stimulate the local economy than by engaging the people who love it the most?

The contest, “NH Dream Vacation Scavenger Hunt” which launched in May, encourages residents to visit their favorite attractions and outdoor activities throughout the state, and/or explore some new ones. To play, all you need is the “I love it here!” sign (pictured), a digital camera, access to the Internet, and an outing with a friend(s) to wherever in the state you love the most. Participants then upload their photos to NHdreamvacation.com where they are entered for a chance to win the grand prize, a dream vacation in New Hampshire.

Simple. Engaging. Fun. Three words perfect for consumers, and perfect for marketers. By the way, did I mention pretty cost-effective too?

The contest officially ends this weekend, but in a state with that much to see and do, and some of the proudest residents north of Texas, surely this campaign is just getting started.

I recently saw these two things merge with Southwest Porch, a pop-up eatery in Bryant Park (NYC). What a great launch tactic, integrating into people’s lifestyles while being able to promote their expanded service to NYC. As I read more, similar eateries are gaining popularity everywhere.