Inside SXSW 2024 Brand Activations: Prime Video, Paramount+, Delta and More

Austin, Texas, is brimming with brand activity this week as South by Southwest (SXSW), the annual series of festivals and conferences, takes over the capital city. In its 37th year, the event is known for major tech launches, movie and documentary premieres, a first look at up-and-coming musicians and a plethora of knowledge on its conference stages. For advertisers, it's an opportunity to reach a unique cross-section of people—many of whom travel to Central Texas from all over the world. In a slight diversion from previous years, which welcomed festival-goers into the worlds of Yellowjackets, Game of Thrones or Westworld, the brand activations at SXSW 2024 are largely rooted "more in the here and now, as opposed to a fictional reality," Peter Lewis, chief partnerships officer for SXSW, told ADWEEK. Aside from notable exceptions like Prime Video's post-apocalyptic Fallout activation, the theme of this year's brand activity has felt focused on transporting people into a unique space or reality while also imparting useful information about the brand's products—like Porche's new EV and video game skin, Delta's new personalized entertainment experience or Sharpie's new line of markers. Spanning industries from streaming and travel to CPG and auto, here's a look at the biggest experiential marketing stunts at SXSW 2024. The Delta Lounge Open to all Delta SkyMiles members with or without an official SXSW badge, the airline rolled out the red carpet for fans with the Delta Lounge in downtown Austin. At the activation, visitors were introduced to Delta Sync—a personalized account for travelers using Delta's in-flight entertainment that keeps track of what users watch, allowing them to pick up right where they left off at the end of a previous flight. "Delta’s presence at SXSW is our latest opportunity to extend our SkyMiles program benefits and connect directly with our members," said Delta chief marketing officer Alicia Tillman. "We want our SkyMiles program to deliver value to customers in ways that connect them throughout their travel journey to exclusive moments spanning special-access opportunities, community engagement, content experiences, and unique epicurean and musical adventures." The Lodge by Paramount+ Chock full of shows, movies and properties accessible through Paramount+, The Lodge returned to Austin's Rainey Street with a multi-level activation at The Clive Bar. Different corners of the bar featured props, themed drinks and experiences related to Halo, Mean Girls, Star Trek: Discovery, Lawmen: Bass Reeves, Survivor, Inkmaster, The Chi and CBS Sports. "The scale of this ski-lodge-inspired activation is similar [to last year], but the experiences are even bigger," said Domenic DiMeglio, CMO and chief data officer for Paramount Streaming. "We are competing in a crowded market so the chief goal for activations such as The Lodge is to reach consumers directly with a tangible experience that establishes and deepens their relationship with our brand and content." Prime Video: Fallout South of the main conference activities on Austin's South Congress Ave, Prime Video created a post-apocalyptic world to promote its new show, Fallout, which premieres on March 21. Set some 200 years after a nuclear event, the world is divided between those who lived through it in a vault, and those who struggled to survive on the surface—and actors, fully in character, wandered among visitors giving sneak peeks into where the show will take viewers. The LaCroix House Housed in an East Austin hotel that visitors enter through a LaCroix-filled refrigerator door, the sparkling water brand's activation was an explosion of bubbles, bright colors, interactive photo ops and themed swag. The Sharpie x Paper Mate Studio This year marks the 60th anniversary of Sharpie and the 75th anniversary of Paper Mate—two household brands that Gina Lázaro, vp of brand management for parent company Newell Brands, aimed to reintroduce to new generations through its Rainey Street studio at SXSW this week. Partnering with multi-hyphenate actor, writer and producer Mindy Kaling, who gave a Q&A at the activation on Saturday, the brands both had new products on display: the Sharpie Creative Markers and Paper Mate InkJoy Gel Bright! Pens. "This is the hub of creativity and innovation," Lázaro said. "We wanted to introduce our new products in a place that was right for that, to unleash this innate creativity that exists in all these wonderful people." The Audible Sound Experience With a downtown space tucked between the conference spaces and film venues, Audible built a carnival—complete with a functioning ferris wheel—to showcase all the magical places that storytelling can take listeners on its platform. "SXSW is a cultural moment every year that at its core allows for people to share ideas and fuel their imaginations," James Finn, global head of brand and content marketing at Audible, told ADWEEK. "Our festival-themed listening moments, including our sonic ferris wheel where attendees can ride in audio-enabled passenger gondolas, are an exciting way to introduce our expansive catalog of audio entertainment across podcasts, audiobooks and Audible Originals." Porsche: Full Service The automaker's downtown Austin activation sends visitors through a Meow Wolf-inspired car wash—depositing them in front of a vintage Porsche within a Route 66-themed space. Functioning like a full-service tuneup for guests with drinks and snacks, the activation also highlighted the all-electric Macan and Taycan, both on display, alongside the Porsche e-bike.