Experiential at Miami Art Week: Our Tour of Brand Experiences Across the Prestigious Week-long Event

Activation formats that work, our picks for top engagements, and three ways to relieve common pain points

There’s no fan village. No sponsor zone. No epicenter where brands assemble. At Miami Art Week, blink, and you’re likely to miss more than one of the many scattered, and oftentimes secretive, activations produced across the week-long event. Indeed, to any other attendee set, the journey through the myriad art fairs and brand experiences found across Art Week (Nov. 29 to Dec. 4) would require an extensive amount of hoofing it. But the demographic that descends on South Beach for art and ambience is dressed in far too expensive shoes to navigate on foot. We, on the other hand, wore our finest adidas kicks to get around. And so our tale of two Magic Cities begins.

International art fair properties, Art Basel, which marked its 20^th anniversary in Miami this year, and SCOPE, are Miami Art Week’s biggest draws, but they don’t exactly attract your average consumer. Attendees are affluent, educated and discerning, and their expectations for luxury VIP experiences are as vast as their net worth. One of our first stops was at a Galderma sponsor lounge at SCOPE (Agency: Eventique), where the attraction was a chance to get professional Botox and filler injections on-site—it’s another world.

Naturally, the majority of brands build events and activations accordingly. That is to say: if you’re attending an event outside the walls of a sponsored art fair and you’re not on “the list,” best wishes. Even the brand experiences that were open to the public this year weren’t particularly widely promoted. And that seemed to be a strategic play: create just enough buzz so that lines form and throughput is healthy, while maintaining a certain air of exclusivity.

So, what did we learn and pull inspiration from while traversing sunny Miami? For one, Web3 and NFTs have hijacked both the art world and experiential. For the rest, grab your shades and read on. (And stay tuned for roundups of the design and technology trends we spotted on location.)

From the Miami Art Week Archives:

• How Nine Brands Painted the Town Red at Art Basel Miami Beach
• Hot Property: Brand Experiences at Scope for Miami Art Week
• In The Pantone Pantry by Tribute at Art Basel, Consumers Explore the Color of the Year

EVENT FORMATS       

Five Ways to Activate at Miami Art Week

Cocktail Lounges

Cocktail lounges are pervasive, particularly among art show sponsors who recognize the value of offering busy attendees a place to rest their feet, network and unwind with a drink on-site. And at a show like SCOPE, where every sponsor must work with an artist to develop their brand footprint, the spaces are prime for social sharing.

One that stood out at the art fair for us was the Grey Goose Bar Bleu lounge, a French garden-inspired space located on the beach. The footprint included faux hedge walls bearing the brand’s logo; glossy artworks comprised of silver balls throughout; beachy table and umbrella setups and sleek high-tops; a central martini glass installation; a GIF photo op; and tabletop QR codes attendees could scan to access a curated, daytime Spotify playlist. Meanwhile, craft martini cocktails were whipped up by local bartenders, and djs spun tunes each day at sunset.

Brunches

Brunch events were a trending event format this year, particularly among Art Basel sponsors. But American Express and Resy took the crown. The brands once again partnered for a pop-up dining series on the “mainland,” over the bridge from the beach, in Miami’s Design District. But their SAVOR & SOUL brunch was the pièce de resistance. The invitation-only cardmember event was designed to continue Amex’s support of underrepresented communities and celebrate Black chefs, artists and culture.

The brunch menu was curated by James Beard Award-winning chef Mashama Bailey, while additional touchpoints included a panel on the state of Black art and creators; a set by DJ Amorphus; art exhibits by Adrian Brandon, Sabrena Khadija and Gianni Lee; and a chance to view “Garden of Reflections,” the latest work from artist Phillip K. Smith III, which comprised 17 cylindrical structures made of shiny metals that morphed throughout the day depending on the natural light.

To boot, Brandon, Khadija and Lee teamed up with livestream shopping app NTWRK and American Express for an exclusive art drop, which was unveiled during the event. Fans had the opportunity to purchase the three art pieces the following week on the app. Proceeds went to Good Black Art, a global platform for promising emerging Black artists. (Agency: Shiraz Creative)

Photo credit: Seth Browarnik, World Red Eye

Launches

Miami Art Week, and its global, upscale audience, serve as a powerful platform for launching a temporary residency or new product. Among those who took advantage of the captive crowds this year were Pantone, and Mattel Creations, a collaboration platform that connects creators with Mattel brands to produce limited-edition, specialty items.

Mattel partnered with the Museum of Graffiti to host a live “Stack the Deck” art event during which eight global graffiti artists painted larger-than-life UNO cards that were later featured in a specialty UNO deck that fans could purchase online for a limited time. Meanwhile, Pantone not only revealed its 2023 Color of the Year (Viva Magenta), but launched a temporary residency at Miami’s ARTECHOUSE, where its interactive Magentaverse installation is accessible to anyone who registers ahead of time, and open through the spring. (For the record, this was one of our favorites.)

Rooftops

If you didn’t attend a rooftop soiree, did you really go to Miami Art Week? Nothing says “VIP” and “luxury” like an event hosted atop an elegant hotel. And there were plenty to go around. We experienced two kinds while in town: Perrier’s chill, daytime French terrace activation, and shipping service Route’s exclusive day-to-evening affair.

Perrier, an official Art Basel sponsor, offered complimentary healthy lunches and snacks to go; passed canapés; music by dj Sammy Hawk, who played dreamy, reggae-inspired cover songs; branded palm fans and signature Perrier-green accents throughout; swag bags; an Insta-worthy, old-school stereo installation; and mini sampling activations promoting its flavored mineral waters, whether by themselves, or in highballs. It was just the kind of midday reprieve we needed. (Agency: LU Agency)

The Route event began indoors at the Miami Beach EDITION Hotel where the brand unveiled its Top Tracked Items of 2022 and showcased artistic partner installations from brands that had top-tracking products, like Rebecca Minkoff, Kin Euphorics and NUDESTIX, the latter of which offered a color-by-number display and invited attendees to use its lipsticks to fill the artwork in. Then it was on through an LED tunnel of sorts and out onto the expansive rooftop. Passed hors d’oeuvres and drinks; a dj; lounge areas; an apparel display from swanky resortwear brand Devon Windsor; a playful “Top Tracked Marketplace” booth offering info and swag; and a genuinely beautiful view were all part of the mix. As were the models hired to hang for a while—a distinctly different scene from Perrier’s lunchtime R&R vibe. (Agency: BMF)

Multiple Locations

Most brands activated across several days, but there weren’t many we found to have a multi-location presence. An impressive exception was Johnnie Walker Blue Label, which expanded its reach across different venues, hitting both South Beach and downtown Miami, and offering up events at varying times. Experiences included a “VVIP” opening event for Web3 media company nft now called The Gateway: a Web3 Metropolis that included a launch ceremony with Miami’s mayor to celebrate the integration of art in Web3, plus tech-forward partner activations and specialty cocktails.

Johnnie also served as presenting partner of The WoW Galaxy, a gala and awards ceremony hosted by World of Women, a mission-driven NFT community. A custom-built VIP lounge and bar area offered Blue Label cocktails and desserts. And then there was the brand’s partnership with Doodles, a pastel-inspired collection of NFTs and online community. Together they delivered DoodlePutt, a trippy, indoor mini golf course, and adjoining outdoor chill space that featured photo ops and craft cocktails and tastings at the Johnnie Walker “Bunker Bar” and Johnnie Walker Blue Label VIP Lounge.

Rounding out the brand’s presence was its presenting sponsorship of Web3 consultancy Vayner3’s exclusive “V” event at SCOPE. The NFT-themed experience was even token-gated, meaning we had to download the tokenproof app to access a unique QR code required for entry. Among event highlights: holders of the VANDYTHEPINK x Johnnie Walker Blue Label NFT had the opportunity to vote on the street artist’s final artwork for an upcoming limited-edition Blue Label bottle and receive serially numbered pieces of art from the creator. (Agency: Hunter, p.r.)

EDITOR’S PICKS

Three Experiences We Loved

The SoundCloud SoundBooth

SoundCloud’s day-to-night Next Wav event at the outdoor Supercar Rooms venue was a hot spot for music discovery and culture-forward experiences, offering a range of hip-hop and dj performances, creative panels on building a career in music, a professional portrait studio, Pop-A-Shot games, drinks that billowed smoke, photo ops and all kinds of delicious local soul food.

But it was the SoundCloud SoundBooth presented by Denny’s that really hooked us. It was a constant draw, and it didn’t take long to find out why. The modest-sized booth was available for attendees to record their own live freestyles with support from a professional producer. The crowd listened and watched as participants stepped up to the mic, roaring with approval every time a clever rhyme was dropped. We couldn’t help but smile. And it was clear SoundCloud knows exactly who its audience is. (Agency: Hustle & Co.)

Professional photo credit: Laine Zimmerman for SoundCloud 

Meta House’s Mixed Reality Art

The first-ever Meta House, located at a vast outdoor venue in the Wynwood Arts District, was a mixed reality playground filled with engagements and installations across three days, and it was strategically designed to feel like one cohesive experience. It was something to behold, with new touchpoints (and, thankfully, bars) around every corner, and a little bit of something for any of the roughly 3,000 people who ultimately stopped by.

There were interactive AR murals and installations by renowned mixed-reality artists; professional VR building workshops; an inflatable sculpture garden; ample neon lighting that set the tone; multiple dj sets; a #MakeItTillYouMakeIt gallery showcase and daytime programming hosted in partnership with SpringHill on a branded stage; food trucks, mini basketball courts; a Doja Cat performance we couldn’t make (and still cry about in the shower); and a psychedelic, mushroom-themed Instagram area that, naturally, begged to be shared on social. The overall balance of art and technology was spot-on. (Agency: Day One Agency)

Photo credit: Getty Images for Meta

The Origin Story

Origins spring water, a sponsor of SCOPE, hosted an “oasis” lounge on the beach where attendees could pick out swag; hydrate with complimentary samples; get info on the company’s newest flavors from brand ambassadors; check out a striking series of translucent, forest-themed panels that matched the walls of the footprint; pose for a living wall photo op; and view creations by artist Lefty You Out There.

Our favorite aspect, though, was the opportunity attendees had to have their “Origin Story” sketched by Noah Cook. Participants entered an enclosed sound box and shared a piece of their life story in a matter of minutes while Cook wore headphones and listened in just outside the booth, and depicted his interpretation of their tale. As far as personalized experiences go, this one was hard to top. (Agency: Ascend Talent Solutions, staffing)

OPPORTUNITIES FOR BRANDS

Three Ways to Solve for Miami Art Week Pain Points

Transportation

Miami traffic is never exactly a picnic, but during Art Week, it’s absolute chaos. Even our myriad rideshare drivers were in awe. And the struggle of traveling from one event to another in a timely manner, particularly if you’re crossing over into the mainland, is all too real. Cars and buses often sit at standstills. Which leads us to believe that, permitting headaches aside, there’s a grand opportunity for a sponsor to provide an alternative form of transportation. Think: rickshaws, electric bikes, pedal pubs.

Line Engagement

Countless events and activations were attended by VIPs who swiftly entered those experiences. But at the more accessible events, lines to enter inevitably formed. There’s nothing wrong with an enthusiastic crowed, of course, but attendees’ patience is limited. If the experience started as soon as they queued up, on the other hand, it would allow for more engagement for brands and less frustration for those eager to get the party started. The nature of the event is crucial to the strategy, but enlisting trained actors, rather than brand ambassadors, is one way to go.

Representation

We’ll hand it to Amex and Resy for designing an event specifically built to celebrate and support Black chefs and Black culture through their SAVOR & SOUL brunch. They weren’t the only activating companies working to represent the underrepresented, but there seemed to be many missed opportunities for more brands to leverage their events and partnerships to help uplift those communities. At an event like Art Week that feeds on exclusivity, turning the paradigm on its head just might pay off.

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