Original article on BizBash.com – https://www.bizbash.com/production-strategy/experiential-marketing-activations-sponsorships/media-gallery/22893194/top-events-and-brand-activations-from-coachella-2024

INDIO, CALIF.—The Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival hosted its headline-grabbing first weekend April 12-14 at the Empire Polo Club in Indio, Calif. (The second weekend takes place tomorrow through April 21.) The event featured headliners No Doubt; Lana Del Rey; Tyler, the Creator; and Doja Cat, with surprise performances from Will Smith, A$AP Rocky, Billie Eilish, Olivia Rodrigo, and more.

While superstar attendees like Taylor Swift, Travis Kelce, and Justin and Hailey Bieber spent their time enjoying the performances, many of the festival’s 200,000 guests were just as excited for the parties—of which there were plenty to choose from.

On festival grounds, fans could revamp their fashion at an ethereal activation from Pinterest, enjoy an elevated culinary experience with Aperol, get their auras photographed by body wash brand Method, or do arts and crafts with Goodwill. Off site, the fun continued at buzzy parties and activations from the likes of NYLON, 818 Tequila, CELSIUS Energy, Gallery Media, and many more.

As always, the events were jampacked with inspiration for event design, photo ops, guest engagement, and much more. Scroll down for a look at some of the coolest, most steal-worthy event moments we spotted during Coachella’s first weekend…

Method’s Festival Activations

This year, Method was Coachella’s official body and haircare sponsor—and tapped into its new “Unleash Your Inner Shower” campaign with a unique activation on festival grounds. The brand worked with the experiential marketing agency Revolution Marketing.

Guests could relax inside the brand’s Inner Shower Lounge, which featured product samples and the Inner Shower Portal, a multisensory, immersive experience that took guests through the different worlds of Method’s most popular scents (“Daily Zen,” “Pure Peace,” and “Simply Nourish”). There was also a hair glam beauty station, where visitors could select from nine hairstyles based on Method scents.

The activation also featured an AI aura photo experience. Based on their answers to a few quick questions, guests were digitally transformed into a colorful digital print inspired by one of Method’s most popular scents.

Method also activated at the Coachella campgrounds, most notably with its “Field of Showers” display. At the start of the festival, the Field of Showers was a blank canvas of plain sculptures of butterflies, flowers, and waves—which attendees could then bring to life with paint. (The shapes of the sculptures represented the designs of the Method scents that festivalgoers could interact with throughout the festival.) There was also a kaleidoscope selfie booth, a three-paned, rotating animated backdrop that offered colorful representations of Method’s scents, along with a customization station with iron-on patches. And in a fun touch at the campgrounds, Method curated three playlists that guests could select while taking a shower.

Method’s Shower Power Golf Cart—complete with soap bubbles, of course—traveled festival grounds to hand out body washes, shampoos, and conditioners.