These examples of face-to-face marketing range from frienship-forming bench stunts to chip bouquet proposals. While examples like Nespresso's 'Hello Bench' stunt aimed to connect strangers by helping to break the ice, Doritos' second limited run of its ketchup roses resulted in a romantic gesture from one Vancouver Canucks hockey fan.
Outside of the food and beverage realms, other face-to-face marketing innovations include social media app Snapchat's Snapbot -- a brightly branded vending machine that sell's the company's Spectacles eyewear line -- along with Ebay's emotion-powered popup in London which was outfitted with intuitive, "bio-analytic technology and facial coding software."
Pop-up VR bars, and beachside shipping container hotels round off this list and illustrate the power of spontaneous marketing that requires crowd participation and immersive elements.
42 Examples of Face-to-Face Marketing
41
Secret Celebratory Burgers
A foodora Burger's Priest Pop-Up Hit Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver
40
Transformed Trailer Sneaker Stores
Brooks Running Created a Mobile Space to Promote Its Offerings
39
Couture Cafe Popups
Tokyo's Coco Cafe Combines Cosmetics with Artisanal Coffee and Sweets
38
Shipping Container Athletic Stores
The Nike Pop-Up in Rio Was Created with an Industrial Aesthetic
37
Emotion-Powered Pop-Up Shops
This eBay Pop-Up Used Facial Expressions to Help Shoppers Find Gifts
36
Lifeguard Tower Hotels
This Beachside Hut in Tel Aviv is Now a Luxury Pop-Up Hotel
35
Interactive Mattress Pop-Ups
Silent Night's 'Studio Out the Box' Invites People to a Dreamworld
34
Enchanting Movie Popups
Toronto's Alice Through The Looking Glass Activation is Whimsical
33
Swedish Furniture Shop Restaurants
Ikea Standalone Cafes Could Soon Be in City Centers Worldwide
32
Fried Chicken-Scented Lotions
KFC's Extra Crispy Sunscreen Features the Scent of Fried Chicken
31
Polluted Art Galleries
This Pop-Up Gallery Exclusively Features Art Made with Air Pollution
30
Mobile Cannabis Lounges
Toast and Loopr Teamed up for this Luxe Brand Activation on Wheels
29
Anti-Hero Movie Pop-Ups
The Suicide Squad is Thanking Toronto with its Brand Activation
28
Edible Flavor Clouds
Pringles' Mechanically Generated Cloud Mimics the Scent and Flavor of Chips
27
Edible Snack Cake Installations
McVitie's Launched a Jaffa Cakes Tower for Father's Day 2016
26
Double-Filtered Coffees
For #FeedingTheFuture, The Economist Shared Coffee Made with Used Grounds
25
Beauty Service Drive-Thrus
Benefit is Launching 'GlastonBrow' for Brow and Beauty Services
24
Cauliflower Burger Pranks
KFC Pokes Fun at Extremely Healthy Eating with Its #CleanEating Burger
23
AR-Powered Doll Displays
Mattel's App-Connected Barbie Display Features Scannable Products
22
3D-Printed Smartphone Sweaters
The Made by Google Pop-Up Makes Printed Pixel Phone Sweaters
21
Branded Barber Shop Activations
The Fitting Room's Bryan Brock Discusses the Power of Marketing
20
Smoothie Ice Sculptures
Dole is Giving Away Free Smoothies That are Poured Through Ice Art
19
Environmental Mascot Campaigns
This Angry Birds Publicity Stunt Aims to Raise Eco Awareness
18
Pop-Up VR Bars
The House of Peroni Event Featured Immersive Works of Art
17
Immersive Selfie Towers
Toronto's Largest Selfie Campaign Was Hosted by CF Toronto Eaton Centre
16
Mobile Fast Food Drive-Thrus
McDonald's Dia Drive is a Roving "Drive-Thruck" on Wheels
15
Date-Themed Vaporizer Activations
Blu's 'Six Weeks to Fall in Love' Builds a Product Relationship
14
Pop-Up VR Cinemas
This Temporary Activation Was Set Up at Milk Glass Co. in Toronto
13
Friendship-Forming Bench Stunts
Nescafe's 'Hello Bench' Helps Strangers Break the Ice
12
Olympic Beverage Zones
Coca-Cola is Setting Up #ThatsGold Fan Stations in Rio
11
Instrumental Train Experiences
This Desperados x Mount Kimbie Brand Activation Celebrates Sound
10
Cookie-Dropping Drones
This Stunt from OREO Takes Cookie Dunking to New Heights
9
Robotic Vending Machines
Snapchat's 'Snapbot' Sells the Company's 'Spectacles' Eyewear
8
Boozy Bread Pop-Ups
Virgin Trains' Food Store Pop-Up Features Bread, Baking Kits and Beer
7
Unicorn Cab Rides
Three Mobile is Offering Magical 'Unicab' Rides in London
6
Exam-Based Brand Activations
'Bojangles' Restaurant Surprised Students with Food After Their Exams
5
Hispanic Cinema Pop-Ups
Cine Carretera Popped Up in a Vacant Lot in San Diego to Screen Films
4
Live Long-Form Narrative Experiences
Pop-Up Playground Offers Live Narratives Featuring Actors
3
Chip Bouquet Proposals
This Hockey Game Proposal Was Executed Using Doritos Ketchup Roses
2
AR Superhero Displays
This Augmented Reality Mall Stunt Promotes the Batman vs. Superman Film
1
Curated Snacking Experiences
The Hillshire Snacking Vending Machine Has a Maitre D' and Butler
Related Ideas
AI-Driven Video Generation Platforms
Cadbury Launches the a Cheer for Every Volunteer Campaign
AI-Generated Ketchup Ads
Heinz Designed an Advertisement Using the Slogan 'It has to be Heinz'
Branded AI-Generated Short Films
KFC Philippines Captures Attention with AI-Generated Films
Cleverly-Disguised Fountain Cups
Pepsi's Latest Campaign Stunt Introduced 'Undercover Cups'
AI-Lead Car Ads
Ford Launched an AI Campaign Dubbed 'Be Surreal, Be Ford'
Halloween-Inspired Pretzel Campaigns
Snyder’s of Hanover Debuts the 'Pretzelface' Campaign
Multisensory French Fry Pop-Ups
The McCain Happy Frydays Café Shares an Over-the-Top Menu
GenAI Flip Phone Campaigns
Motorola's Styled with Moto Features AI-Generated Virtual Models
Gen Z IRL Campaigns
Hinge's Phonebook Encourages Gen Z to Connect IRL for Global Day of Unplugging
Autonomous Micro Markets
Micromart Features Digital Price Tags & AI Product Recognition Sensors
Parisian Airport Pop-Ups
Moët Hennessy's Paris Concept Event Featured Travel Exclusives
Groundbreaking AR Posters
Wall's Out-of-Home Ads Make AR Experiences Unmissable with WinDOOH Tech
Beer-Branded Music Sharing Devices
The Conceptual 'Hei-Five' Connects Strangers Over Music
Hug-Inspired Olympics Campaigns
Coca-Cola's Summer Olympics Campaign was Inspired by True Events
AI-Powered Bakery Pop-Ups
The Betty Crocker Dream Bake Studio Beats "Baker's Block" with AI
Ketchup Dispenser Billboards
'Smack for Heinz' Helps Fans Complete Meals with a Favorite Condiment
Digital Cosmetics Pop-Ups
Oh My Cream! Launched a Digital Pop-Up to Showcase Nine Brands
Personalized Digital Playgrounds
Pringles Poptopia is an Immersive, Engaging Experience for Fans
Naturalistic Taco Stand Campaigns
Coca-Cola Launched a Street Photography Campaign in Norway
Gen Z AI Campaigns
Lenovo Launches a New Campaign Called 'Meet Your Digital Self'
Purposeful Consumer-Focused Campaigns
IKEA's Sleepfluencers Campaign is a Clever Way to Give Back
Photosensitive Book Experiences
Fruittella's the Outside Book is a One-Of-A-Kind Campaign
Engaging Shelf Displays
Netvisual is Elevating In-Store Advertising with its Shelf Edge Displays
Hug-Activated Marketing Machines
UNIQLO France and The Pull Launch the Hug to Unlock Ad
AI-Generated Soup Can Art
The Campbell’s 'pAIntings' Initiative is Inspired by Artistic Greats
Fluidless Scent-Releasing Facemasks
Hong Kong Researchers Developed a Smart Mask Using Wax Pads
Star-Studded Tech Campaigns
Jewellery Pros and Music Talent Promote the Bose Ultra Open Earbuds
In-Store Beauty Sampling Kiosks
Ulta Beauty and SOS are Partnering to Promote Product Discovery
Creative Play Pop-Ups
The Sharpie Studio Offered Opportunities for Creativity at SXSW
Seasonal Phone Booth Activations
Spotify's Q4 is Calling Urges Brands to Start Holiday Advertising
Interactive In-Store Ads
Visibubble Brings Mobile Messaging Capabilities to Store Shelves
Gen Z-Centric Campaigns
Urban Outfitters' Shift Happens Campaign Has Three Phases
Convention-Challenging AC Campaigns
Samsung's WindFree Ad Stars a Savvy Grandma-Fluencer
AI Social Media Managers
Friz is an All-in-One Tool for DTC Brands on Social
Gen Alpha Marketing Campaigns
Claire's is Targeting TikTok Growth for its Latest Ads Spending
Ice Cream Sandwich Pop-Ups
Chips Ahoy! Pop-Up to Serve Free Ice Cream in NYC
UK Beauty Summer Pop-Ups
Mecca Cosmetica is Hosting a Summer Pop-up in London and Manchester
Terrace Brand Endeavors
Louis Vuitton Features its Latest Collection at a Beachfront Pop-Up
Grocery-Themed Holiday Cosmetics
Benefit Cosmetics Presents the Playful Benemart Collection
Gen Z-Influenced Marketing Campaigns
Kraft Heinz is Studying Gen Z's Preferences with New Launches
Marketer-Targeted Cereal Ads
Surreal's Out-of-Home Campaign Speaks to Marketers, Not Consumers
Modern Coffee Packaging Designs
Happy™ Products Offers a Range of Coffee to Elevate Mornings
AI Beauty Shopping Experiences
Revieve x Google Cloud Launch the Next Gen AI Advisor Series
Enhanced-AI QR Packaging
LOVE CORN Partners with Flowcode for Submersive Activations
Cross-Category Refreshment Campaigns
Sprite and Pringles Hot Have Teamed Up for a New Campaign
Modern Gifting Services
Fresh Sends Reinvents Flower Delivery & Gift-Giving for a New Generation
Romantic On-Demand Gift Deliveries
Minted and DoorDash Have Partnered for On-Demand Delivery
Scented Fast Food Billboards
McDonald's Set Up a French Fry-Scented Billboard
Smart Shopping Cart Ads
Instacart Unveiled Ads for Its AI-Powered Caper Carts
Social Video Reaction Apps
The 'Seen' App Lets Users Capture Footage of Themselves Viewing Content
Luxurious Lipstick Pop-Ups
Valentino Beauty will Host a Spike Valentino Pop-Up in NYC
Interactive Cosmetics Retail Stores
Watsons Upgrades its Stores for Gen Z and Gen Alpha Consumers
Confetti-Filled Snacking Commercials
Frito-Lay Launches the Taste of Super Bowl Campaign
Authenticity-Promoting Social Media Apps
The Viberse App Emphasizes Authenticity and Spontaneity
Marketing Creation Design Tools
Adobe Presents the New Express for Enterprise Tool
Hyper-Personalized AI Campaigns
Tesco's Stronger Starts Uses AI to Recognize Customers by Name
Provocative Guerrilla Campaigns
Jewelry Brand MWCurated Uses Fake Infidelity Flyers for Marketing
Advanced Adaptive Retail Experiences
Walmart Unveiled New Retail Technologies at CES 2024
Mixed-Reality Shopping Apps
StockX Launched an Immersive Way to Shop with the Apple Vision Pro
AI-Powered Marketing Tools
This E-Commerce Tool Uses Customer Data to Project Reward Impacts
Anthropomorphic Store Campaigns
IKEA's Short Social Films Promote Its Click-and-Collect Service
Mental Health Snack Initiatives
Pringles Relaunched a QR Design for Exclusive Movember Tubes
Discerning Drinker Pop-Ups
Fentimans' Pop-Up Inspires People to Choose More Interesting Beverages
Kindness-Promoting Beverage Campaigns
Culture Pop Soda Partners with Point Guard Derrick White
Interactive Connected Packaging
Asahi Beverages Philippines Debuts a New Experience
Gifting-Focused Travel Chocolate Products
Ferrero Travel Market Has Shown Off New Treats
IRL Dating Apps
The Blush App Aims to Enhance the Dating Experience with Real-World Connections
Stylish Soda Pop-Ups
Poppi World Enticed Health-Conscious, Fashionable Visitors During NYFW
AI-Assisted Cooking Partnerships
Unilever and Be My Eyes Partnered to Support Shoppers
AI-Powered Digital Employees
Product Genius Transforms How Small Businesses Connect with Customers
In-Store Audience Engagement Solutions
Social Shelf® Has a Novel Approach to Customer Engagement
Integrated Influencer Marketing Platforms
SocialTalk Helps Users Discover, Track, and Connect
Immersive Virtual Pop-Ups
Benefit Launches Virtual 'Benemart' Concept for Holiday Shopping
Matchmaking Dating Apps
The 'Cheers' Dating App Incorporates Friend into the Experience
Record-Breaking AR Mirrors
Maybelline New York & FFFACE.ME Debuted a Large Interactive Experience
AI-Powered Gelato Packaging
Sweet Cheeks Partners with Bravo to Debut Gelatos with AI Packaging
Digital Avatar Cosmetics
e.l.f. Cosmetics & Snapchat Debuted the First Bitmoji Beauty Drop
Product Exploration Retailer Tools
These New Instacart Discovery Tools Connect Brands to Retailers
Intimate Customized Denim Events
Mars the Label Brings its Friends with Mars Event to London
Tongue-In-Cheek Soda Campaigns
Pepsi Jokes at Coca-Cola in It's Tastes Better Campaign
Tech-Enhanced Facial Workouts
NuFACE's Fitness For Your Face Introduces a New Facial Workout
Interactive Tennis Activations
Fresh Del Monte Engaged Healthy Eating Fans at the 2024 Miami Open
Refrigerated Trail Mixes
Fresh Face Foods is Offering a Fresher Take on a Classic Snack
Tech-Enhanced Beauty Marketplaces
Fresha Plans to Boost Machine Learning and AI Robotics Abilities
Social Marketplace Updates
Instagram Launches a Marketplace to Better Connect Brands and Creators
Tech-Powered Business Solutions
Apple Business Connect Leverages the Brand's User Base
Interactive AR Experiences
The Sendit App Engaged Gen Alpha on Valentine's Day
Familial Meal Kit Campaigns
HelloFresh, Hello Dinner Spotlights the Uniqueness of Households
Counter-Loneliness Social Spaces
Flash Pack Launches the 'Friendship Corner' in New York
Influencer Snack Bar Campaigns
Nature Valley Launches a Social-Oriented Digital Marketing Campaign
Brand Photography Marketplaces
VSCO Unveils a New Marketplace for Photographers to Find Work
Coffee Shop Video Calls
Coffee Video Calls Brings the Ambiance of a Cafe to Virtual Calls
Emotive AI Actors
CreatorKit Helps Businesses Create Video Ads with Hyper-Realistic AI People
Customized Convenience Retailer Apps
Family Express is Introducing a Personalized App Experience
Themed Heart-Shaped Chips
Japanese Snack Brand Calbee Unviels its Valentine's Day Chips
Personality-Focused Dating Apps
The Bokay App Expands Its Services Across Canada
Motivational AR Packaging
RXBAR's No B.S. Motivator Experience Enhances Packaging with Holograms
Third-Party Artisanal Marketplaces
Michaels Launches the MarkerPlace Alternative Marketplace
Loneliness-Combating Social Campaigns
Hinge Launches the New One More Hour Campaign and Fund
Kindness-Promoting Marketing Campaigns
Once Upon a Coconut Launches 1 Million Acts of Kindness
In-App Face Swaps
SwapMyFace Lets Users Insert Their Own Faces into Any Picture from the Web
Short-Form Foodie Feeds
Uber Eats is Testing Out a New Vertical Feed Like TikTok and Instagram
AI Social Media Management
From Discovery to Post Scheduling – Storefries Does it All
Playful QSR Campaigns
Cossette Forms the New McDonald's Campaign to Closest Restaurant
Human-Like AI Marketing Avatars
Studio Neiro Helps Scale Marketing With Engaging AI Videos
Friendship-Focused Election Campaigns
Flash Pack Has Introduced The Friendship Bus
AI Email Marketing Campaigns
Emotsy Creates Personalized Campaigns for Stronger Digital Connection
Social Connection Campaigns
Beavertown Brewery's Is This Seat Taken? Campaign Unites Strangers
Marketing Social Advocacy Tools
Nut Tree Helps Smaller Brands Boost Their Presence
AI Matchmakers
Couple.com's AI-Powered Matchmaker Analyzes Video Speed Dating Interactions
Second Chance Campaigns
eos' Second First Kiss Gives Consumers a Shot at a Do-Over
Bizarre Soda Campaigns
Dr Pepper's Try More Weird Disrupts Life's Boredoms with Weirdness
Personalized Retail Media Networks
Thrive Market Collaborates with Instacart on a New Network
Restaurant-Inspired Frozen Comfort Foods
The Boston Market At Home Frozen Foods Has Been Expanded
AI-Fuelled Mobile Design Apps
Adobe Launches its Express Mobile App for Design On-the-Go
Advanced Retail Campaign Kiosks
Freeosk and Place Exchange Partnered for Integrated Campaigns
Interactive AR Galleries
Chips Ahoy's Happy By Design Campaign Spotlights Multicultural Artists
CPG Brand Beer Collaborations
Unique Snacks and Chatty Monks Made the 'Split Face' Brew
Social Media-Integrated AI Lenses
Snapchat Launches the New AR Lenses with ChatGPT
Friend-Finding Dinners
Timeleft Fights Big-City Loneliness by Matching Strangers for Dinner
Quirky eCard Platforms
Happiepages Has an Online Celebratory Card for Any Occassion
Meaningful Connection Platforms
Livebeam Wants to Connect Like-minded People in an Online Space
Mango-Scented Newspaper Ads
Swiggy Instamart Launched a Scented Campaign in the Times of India
Endurance Athlete-Specific Social Networks
Front Pack's New Social Network is on Its Website & App
SaaS Influencer Marketing Tools
Beeing Social Launches 'Buzz Bee Buzz' for Influencer Marketing
Localized Networking Platforms
Presence Connects Users with Like-Minded Individuals Nearby
Festival Season Snack Campaigns
KP Snacks and Live Nation Partnered for a New Popchips Campaign
B2B Referral Marketplaces
Frentro is a Marketplace Connecting Businesses with Clients
Video Call Shopping Services
Apple's Specialist over Video Service Enhances Personalization
Network-Connecting AI Solutions
Village AI Connect with Your Network to Close Deals
Debunking AI Apps
BSBot Helps Publicis Clients Tell the Truth About AI from Fiction at Cannes
Connection-Building Dating Platforms
Happie Aims to Build Meaningful Connections Between Users
Cocktail-Inspired Togetherness Activations
Smirnoff's Global Connectivity Initiative Launched
Subtle Marketing Pop-Ups
FOMO Nudge Encourages Users to Buy with Subtle Pop-Ups
Friendship-Focused Job Applications
Kruidvat Offers an Innovative Job Application Process
AI Social Media Enhancement
Attract AI Elevates Charm on Social Media with a Few Taps
New Year Sandwich Promotions
This Urban Eat On-Pack Promo Offers Hundreds of Prizes Up for Grabs
Mental Health Community Engagement
OOt Social Health Recently Launched Its Application
Festive Chip Campaigns
KETTLE Chips' Christmas Campaign Features 24 Days of Prizes
Community-Driven Public Maps
Happy Face Local Updates Allows Users to Comment on Neighborhood Maps