Strategic Spectacle
Brands and creators are intentionally using spectacles to capture attention and drive engagement.
About This Trend:
Over the past year, we have been tracking more and more organizations and people who intentionally create “spectacles” to attract attention to their brands and want they do. When we say something is “spectacular,” we mean that it is memorable and worthy of our attention. Today, brands increasingly feel pressured to make bolder moves to generate buzz in a crowded media and brand landscape.
In an age in which every consumer says they want an experience, not just a product or service, one can argue that physical stores where brands can captivate their customers have become more important than ever.
Welcome to the age of the Strategic Spectacle: today, more industries than ever will resort to leveraging big stunts and engaging experiences like these to attract attention and make a bold statement.
Stories & Examples
- The Happy Place—a multi-sensory collection of 13 colorful rooms “designed to evoke feelings of happiness”—recently opened its doors in Las Vegas.
- In early October 2018, a painting by the anonymous British street artist Banksy passed through a shredder upon completing the $1.4 million sale.
- To promote the release of the movie musicalThe Greatest Showman, Twentieth Century Fox broadcasted a live commercial featuring an elaborate performance by its star, Hugh Jackman, his co-stars, and more than 150 dancers.