Brand IRL

Brand IRL

Brand IRL shares, analyzes, and scores the experiential marketing campaigns of brands you know and love

Episodes

#20: Reimaging a Product Launch with Ommegang's Growler Store Pop Up

January 26, 2025 • 21 mins
Episode 20: Ommegang Brewery transformed their new product launch into a week long plus experience that resonated with New Yorkers looking for Nirvana. Did the Growler Store drive brand loyalty or was it just another craft beer experience? Find out here, now, as John Kappel (https://www.linkedin.com/in/john-kappel327) breaks down this campaign's strengths and weaknesses and gives it a score on the EPIC Experiential Score.__Links:Br...
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#19: From URL to IRL: How Macy's and Facebook Brought Holiday Cheer to D2C Businesses

December 23, 2024 • 19 mins
Episode 19: Facebook & Macy's collaborated on an instore popup shop that gave over 100 small direct to consumer businesses exposure and IRL reach for the holidays. Did they bring holiday cheer to business owners and shoppers alike or did the Grinch steal Christmas? Find out here, now, as John Kappel (https://www.linkedin.com/in/john-kappel327) breaks down this campaign's strengths and weaknesses and gives it a score on the EPIC...
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#18: Facebook Goes Offline to Show They Don't Sell Your Information

December 11, 2024 • 21 mins
Episode 18: Facebook launched a holiday pop up to combat the scrutiny and answer concerns offline around the tech giant selling your information to third-party companies. Did Facebook put holiday cheer and brand loyalty back into their users? Find out here, now, as John Kappel (https://www.linkedin.com/in/john-kappel327) breaks down this campaign's strengths and weaknesses and gives it a score on the EPIC Experiential Score.__Links...
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#17: Vending Experiential Happiness - 3 Activations Mixing Brand with Innovation

November 22, 2024 • 13 mins
Episode 17: These three consumer brands used innovative thinking to redefine what we know of the classic vending machine. All to create experiences that would excite and engage their audiences to promote their products. Did they vend a successful experiential brand activation or were they forced to pack it up early? John Kappel (https://www.linkedin.com/in/john-kappel327) breaks down this campaign's strengths and weaknesses and giv...
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#16: Breaking Bread at Club Fed - The Art of Storytelling with Dave's Killer Bread

November 8, 2024 • 15 mins
Episode 16: Dave's Killer Bread has an origin story that started behind bars. So when they opened up a prison-themed sandwich shop in a luxury district of Toronto, it was an opportunity to immerse their guests in a life-changing lunch of second chances. Did Club Fed achieve its mission? Or is it getting sent to solitary? John Kappel (https://www.linkedin.com/in/john-kappel327) breaks down this campaign's strengths and weaknesses an...
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#15: Leveraging Pinterest Trends for Activation

October 21, 2024 • 20 mins
Episode 15: Primal Kitchen & Pinterest collaborated on a food focused pop up that used Pinterest consumer search data to influence the design and experience. Did it speak to more than just the audience's taste buds? John Kappel (https://www.linkedin.com/in/john-kappel327) breaks down this campaign's strengths and weaknesses and gives it a rating on the EPIC Experiential Score.Get Immersed in this episode of the Brand IRL podcas...
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#14: Last Stop for 100 Miles...The Cheez It Stop Fills Up Customer's with Cheez Its

September 18, 2024 • 17 mins
Episode 14: Cheez-It fuels summer road trippers with their brand themed gas station popup experience that was filled with exclusive merch and Cheez-It photo opps. Did the nostalgic Cheez-It Stop drive brand loyalty or leave attendees feeling empty? John Kappel (https://www.linkedin.com/in/john-kappel327) breaks down this campaign's strengths and weaknesses and gives it a score on the EPIC Experiential Score.Get Immersed in this not...
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#13: Building Blocks of Brand Loyalty from LEGO's Inspiration Wonderland

September 12, 2024 • 18 mins
Episode 13: LEGO uses its products to create an all-immersive and unforgettable experience that drove over 100,000 visitors to the IRL activation with a digital twist. Did LEGO build a 10/10 experiential campaign on the EPIC Score with Inspiration Wonderland? John Kappel (https://www.linkedin.com/in/john-kappel327) breaks down this campaign's strengths and weaknesses and shares useful tips and strategies to grow your own cult-like ...
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#12: Taco 'Bout a Vacation! A Taco Bell Resort That's More Than Just Beans, Meat, and Cheese

September 2, 2024 • 18 mins
Episode 12: Taco Bell is a cultural staple that knows how to connect with its audience. Did their brand inspired resort "The Bell" do what it takes to get a 10/10 on the EPIC Experiential Score? John Kappel (https://www.linkedin.com/in/john-kappel327) breaks down this campaign's strengths and weaknesses and shares useful tips and strategies to grow your own cult-like following. If you crave Taco Bell or unique and memorable experie...
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#11: Inside Publix Ultimate NFL Tailgate Experience

August 26, 2024 • 15 mins
Episode 11: Publix does football season right by bringing together thousands of NFL fans in their communities for an ultimate tailgate experience each year. Does this experience win the ship, or will it get stuffed at the goal line? John Kappel (https://www.linkedin.com/in/john-kappel327) breaks down this campaign's strengths and weaknesses and gives it a score on the EPIC Experiential Score. Come get immersed in this episode of Br...
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#10: Was Hilton's Luxury Hotel on a PGA Golf Course a Hole in One?

August 19, 2024 • 14 mins
Episode 10: Hilton Brand Hotel built a 5-star hotel stay on hole three during a PGA Tournament. Will they need to take a mulligan on this experience or did they hit a hole in one? John Kappel (https://www.linkedin.com/in/john-kappel327) breaks down this campaign's strengths and weaknesses and gives it a score on the EPIC Experiential Score. Come get immersed in this episode of Brand IRL.__Links:Activation Review: https://stories.hi...
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#9: Did Cheetle Fingers Inspire a Hands Free World? Exploring Cheetos Hands Free House at SXSW

August 12, 2024 • 17 mins
Episode 9: Cheetos posed one question to SXSW attendees and created an entire brand activation around it. The question being, Did Cheetle inspire hands free technology? John Kappel (https://www.linkedin.com/in/john-kappel327) breaks down this campaign's strengths and weaknesses and gives it a score on the EPIC Experiential Score. Come get immersed in this cheesy episode of Brand IRL.__Links:Activation Review: https://advertising.am...
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#8: How to WOW Your Audience at Tradeshows with the USPS at CES

August 5, 2024 • 15 mins
Episode 8: The United States Postal Service immersed attendees at the world's largest tech and innovation conference, CES, with a tradeshow exhibit that drew in and immersed thousands. How did the USPS use experiential marketing to share how it is planning to provide a better service through innovation and process improvements? John Kappel (https://www.linkedin.com/in/john-kappel327) breaks down this campaign's strengths and weakne...
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#7: Using PR to Grow Attendees at the Largest Lunchables in the World

July 29, 2024 • 15 mins
Episode 7: Kraft Heinz Lunchables encourages families to play with their food during a four city escape room experience built within a Lunchables Pack. Did Lunchables immerse their guests or just leave them hungry? John Kappel (https://www.linkedin.com/in/john-kappel327) breaks down this campaign's strengths and weaknesses and gives it a score on the EPIC Experiential Score.Get Immersed in this episode of the Brand IRL podcast__Li...
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#6: Dance in Public for Free Snacks? Rating Target's EPIC Vending Machine

July 19, 2024 • 17 mins
Episode 6: Target encourages consumers to dance in exchange for free snacks with their vending machine marketing campaign experience. Did it get the people moving and grooving for Target? John Kappel (https://www.linkedin.com/in/john-kappel327) breaks down this campaign's strengths and weaknesses and gives it a score on the EPIC Experiential Score.Get Immersed in this episode of the Brand IRL podcast__Links:Target Favorite Day: ht...
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#5: Jose Cuervo Trash Talkers vs. UFC Champ. Who wins this Experiential Taste Test?

July 12, 2024 • 19 mins
Episode 5: Jose Cuervo throws jabs at internet trolls in this experiential advertisement campaign created in collaboration with the UFC. Was it a knockout or a flop? John Kappel (https://www.linkedin.com/in/john-kappel327) breaks down this campaign's strengths and weaknesses and gives it a score on the EPIC Experiential Score.Get Immersed in this episode of the Brand IRL podcast__Links:Cuervo Challenge: https://cuervo.com/cuervoch...
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#4: Climbing to Experiential Success! How IKEA Scaled the Walls of Experiential Marketing in France

July 5, 2024 • 15 mins
Episode 4: IKEA transforms an apartment into a rock climbing wall filled with their own furniture and decor. Did They Climb to a Successful Campaign? John Kappel (https://www.linkedin.com/in/john-kappel327) breaks down this campaign's strengths and weaknesses and gives it a score on the EPIC Experiential Score. Get Immersed in this episode of the Brand IRL podcast__Links:Design Boom: https://www.designboom.com/design/ubi-bene-ikea-...
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#3: Did Love Holidays' Giant Interactive Suitcase Pack a Punch?

June 28, 2024 • 14 mins
Episode 3: Love Holidays, UK's fastest growing travel site, needed to think BIG to grow a following in their new market . Did the 15 ft tall suitcase activation on the sidewalk of Germany hit the mark or hit the road? John Kappel (https://www.linkedin.com/in/john-kappel327) breaks down this campaign's strengths and weaknesses and gives it a score on the EPIC Experiential Score. __ Links:· Behance: https://www.behance.net/g...
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#2: A Schwifty Experience for Cartoon Network's "Don't Even Trip Road Trip" aka The RickMobile

June 21, 2024 • 10 mins
Episode 2: The Rickmobile Rolled into Town, But Did It Take Experiential Marketing to Another Dimension?We're breaking down Cartoon Networks "Don't Even Trip Road Trip"! This pop-up shop on wheels promised fans a taste of the interdimensional life. Did it deliver? John Kappel (https://www.linkedin.com/in/john-kappel327) breaks down this campaign's strengths and weaknesses and gives it a score on the EPIC Experiential Score. __Links...
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#1: Brave Enough for -22°F? The North Face Took Their Pop-Up Store to the EXTREME!

June 14, 2024 • 12 mins
Episode 1: The North Face knows their audience craves exploration. Did their remote, freezing pop-up store hit the mark? John Kappel (https://www.linkedin.com/in/john-kappel327) breaks down this campaign's strengths and weaknesses and gives it a score on the EPIC Experiential Score. If you're an adventurer, this episode of Brand IRL is for you.__Links:Behance: https://www.behance.net/gallery/157768081/THE-NORTH-FACE-COLDEST-POP-UP-...
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