The Brief: Coachella’s Ticket Woes and Viral Wine Memes

FIVE THINGS TO KNOW THIS WEEK

This week’s hot takes on hot topics in experiential marketing cover Coachella’s lackluster ticket sales, a Fortnite game that mimics Alzheimer’s symptoms and the story behind Josh Cellars’ viral wine memes.

COACHELLA IS RIDING THE STRUGGLE BUS

Attempting to snag tickets to Coachella is typically an event in and of itself. But this year, SFGate reports that the music festival darling has seen its slowest ticket sales in a decade. The festival lineup was announced Jan. 16—leaving many fans underwhelmed—and when ticket sales began Jan. 19, they weren’t sold out in a matter of hours, or even a couple of days, as in years past. It’s been more than a week since festival passes became available, and neither weekend of the 2024 show (April 12-14 and April 19-21) has sold out. Would we pay to see No Doubt’s reunion? Absolutely. Would we pay $500-$700 to do so in the scorching desert heat? Absolutely not.

Photo credit: AP

WINE FANS ARE GETTING TIPSY ON VIRAL JOSH CELLARS MEMES

It began with a user’s viral post about Josh Cellars on X—and suddenly a flood of memes about the wine brand came pouring in, most of them anthropomorphizing “Josh.” The company has been posting timely responses and memes of its own on social, further propelling the brand momentum. According to Food and Wine, Josh Cellars has seen a 79 percent increase in its Instagram followers compared to the same week (the third week of January) last year. Cue the clinking glasses.

“A wine but we call it Josh ” pic.twitter.com/7a24X4cU2D

— President-Elect Toguro (@PresidentToguro) January 13, 2024

PARAMOUNT+ IS HITTING THE SLOPES WITH A MOUNTAIN OF CONTENT

Following the debut of its “The Lodge” tour in 2023, Paramount+ is raising the stakes in ’24 by doubling its tour stops and bringing an even bigger mountain of content to fans. Literally. In partnership with hospitality organization Alterra Mountain Company, the brand will be hitting the slopes beginning Feb. 2 in Winter Park, CO, followed by Stratton, VT; Steamboat, CO; and Palisades Tahoe, CA. Along the way, The Lodge will pop up at cultural tentpoles like SXSW and San Diego Comic-Con.

The Lodge promises a little something for everyone, from an oversized Frosty Nick zone and slime portal for kids titles, to a Paramount Presents theater that will serve as an homage to the Golden Age of Hollywood, to The Paramount+ Pub that drops attendees into the world of CBS sports, to the opportunity to saddle up and join “Lawmen: Bass Reeves” and earn a Paramount+ marshal badge during a timed lasso roping game.

Meanwhile, attendees of The Lodge in Stratton will be transported to Mahoney’s Taproom from Paramount’s “Frasier” reboot, which will include easter eggs, books to peruse and games of chess. And “Halo” fans will encounter the “mystical Covenant artifact” from an alien civilization, with a chance to touch the artifact to activate its power and find out if they’re the “chosen one.” Upon exiting, fans will be able to explore costumes and props from the set and score exclusive “Halo”-branded ski-goggle covers. Après ski, indeed. (Agency: 15|40 Productions)

Image renders: Paramount+

AN UNLIKELY PLATFORM FOR ALZHEIMER’S AWARENESS: FORTNITE

In partnership with the CEAFA (Spanish Association Against Alzheimer’s and other Dementias), event agency Momentum Worldwide Spain on Jan. 22 launched a campaign to drive awareness of early-onset Alzheimer’s among Gen Z. To meet the demo where they are, the teams headed to gaming platform Fortnite with Lost In The World, a game that allows players to virtually experience the symptoms of Alzheimer’s, including disorientation, memory glitches and time and space dissociation. Some of Spain’s biggest gamers were among the first to test the simulator out, completely unaware of how the game worked. (Get a glimpse of their reactions below.)

TWO HOOPS FANS WILL DUKE IT OUT FROM THE RUFFLES RIDGELINE

NBA All-Star sponsor Ruffles is inviting hoops players that boast “innovative on-court flavor and a sweet stroke from long range” to enter a brand contest through Jan. 31 that will yield a first-of-its-kind fan experience. Two winners will be selected by pro ballers A’ja Wilson and Jayson Tatum in the leadup to All-Star Weekend (Feb. 16-18) in Indianapolis. Then, just before the Ruffles Celebrity Game on Feb. 17, the winners will become the first fans to hit the court for a pregame shooting experience, taking four-point shots from the “Ruffles Ridgeline,” a line on the hardwood that resembles the ridges in Ruffles potato chips.

Ruffles’ “Ridgeline Unlocks” NBA All-Star campaign will also pop up in Indianapolis during the weekend at a local streetwear shop, where fans can drop in and sink a long-range shot from the Ridgeline to unlock rewards, like autographed gear and the chance to meet Wilson and Tatum.

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