The Elusive Art of Surprise and Admiration
Best-in-class experiential branding delivers the ultimate prize: a state of surprise and admiration. You can see that emotional state captured in a sketch by the 17th Century portrait artist Charles Le Brun in his “visual treatise on the passions.” Across the centuries, this is still very much what it looks like when a brand gives us an experience way beyond what we were expecting - one that leaves us with open-mouthed admiration. Surprise and Admiration. They matter more than ever. And they are harder than ever to produce.
The Thank You Economy
They matter because we all live now in the Thank You Economy. Thank you indeed, Gary “Vee,” for making us all see that the interconnected small town or city neighborhood that our grandparents grew up in, where everybody knew everybody and where a business promoted its reputation by excellent product and great service…and that, thanks to the web, that world is back! 
We’re all connected now more than ever. And there’s nowhere to hide. What made for a great family-run business in 1890 is what makes for a great Big Brand today. Attention to detail! Loving your customers! Being part of their lives! Dazzling them!
Social Currency
We find ourselves in front of the blinking cursor on our status update on Facebook. We are looking for something interesting to share about ourselves today, something interesting, something we haven’t said before, something that says, “I’m up to all kinds of cool things. “ 
A smart brand can give us something worth sharing with our friends and make us genuinely want to say to the brand, “THANK YOU.”
Brand as Artist Who Invites You Into the Act of Creation
The Fader Fort has long been one of the better venues at SXSW for experiencing new music. This year Fiat took over as main sponsor and brought an Italian design flair to the space. The Fiat 500 is being introduced in the States going up against the Volkswagen beetle and the Mini Cooper with its retro styling, tight driving and amazing miles per gallon. 
At this year’s Fader Fort, they put the vehicles on display, offered test drives, featured live car art and Amaretto-flavored gelato. All of which helped put the Fiat 500 on the landscape as a cool new way to make a style statement.
Brand as Fantasy You Can Explore
“Let’s bring people into the brand world,” marketers often say. The Stoli Hotel literally did this – by creating a fantasy hotel complete with lobby, spa and rooms inspired by the flavors of Stoli. Debuting in one of Chicago’s warehouse districts, for a limited one-month run, the Stoli Hotel became a chic destination and the scene of some buzzworthy parties. 
The event was successful and went on to repeat engagements in New York, LA and Miami as well as inspiring many smaller satellite events. 
What is inspiring about this engagement creative strategy is its sense of exclusivity, its scarcity, its sense of theatre and its sumptuous beauty.
Brand as Master’s Workshop Where the New Master is You
In the last year, Levi’s has offered the emerging creative class in New York, LA and San Francisco three superb gifts in the form of a Photo Workshop (NYC), a Print Workshop (silkscreening, SF) and a Film Workshop (LA). 
Widely lauded by cultural bloggers and soulful and authentic, these workshops included beautifully designed workspaces and free-to-the-public demonstrations and classes. 
This is the true spirit of Gary Vaynerchuk’s Thank You Economy and a great way of supporting this brand’s formidable comeback and branding idea of “We’re All Workers.”
Brand as Bootcamp of the Adventurous Soul
Dos Equis has struck a nerve with its Most Interesting Man in the World, powering double-digit growth for three years in a row and making this one the fastest growing import in the country. Here’s you take a great campaign idea and turn into a CE strategy. Dos Equis created an Academy of the Interesting. 
They debuted this CE Platform in an actual caste outside their number one market, Austin. It went on to become a multi-city touring platform and then spun off into smaller activations that could be featured at Festivals. You’d be welcomed at the gate and then immediately be given the make-over of your choosing. Of course, putting on a beard for the day is always a good idea. Then it’s time to prove your mettle at the bug bear. 
Madagacar hissing cockroach anyone? Scorpions? Mealworrms? Want to learn the art of HALO drops? Run across quick sand without falling in? Experiences like this truly do awaken your quest of Interesting and make the brand a friend for life.
Brand as Doorway to Beauty
The Creators Project is a venture of Vice Magazine and Intel that brings together social, technology and creative experiences. 
It strutted its stuff at this year’s Coachella in a series of artist-specific collaborations that were visually dazzling, prompting CoolHunting to comment, “if only Pink Floyd were around to see this.”
Brand as Doorway to the Spectacular
For one night last Summer, Target teamed up with the Standard Hotel in New York City and created one of the most amazing fashion shows of all time, a massive indoor and outdoor spectacular to promote the stores fall line of clothing. 
155 rooms on the south side of the Standard became the stage for a choreographed light and dance show. 66 dancers performed in the windows against 156 LED lights while models strutted along an outdoor catwalk on the street below – all clad in autumn threads by Target outfitters like Mossimo, Merona, Converse and Liz Lange. The event was teased on Target’s Facebook page and could be viewed in streaming video there as well.
