Focus on pop-culture-based experiential marketing

Following up my previous article on Better Call Saul’s marketing team, I’m now exploring a new marketing trend that I particularly enjoy: pop-culture-based experiential marketing!

If you spend all of your weekends binging shows/movies on Netflix and browse the internet once in a while, you’ll be no stranger to this.

Many companies and entrepreneurs are now choosing to create and sell services that are inspired by people’s favourite franchises. Let’s go over some of my favourites.

Hogwarts-themed flat, Edinburgh

If you plan on visiting Scotland you might want to stay in this fabulous Hogwarts-themed apartment. Located in the Canongate, this flat is flat is available all year round for the price of £150 per night.

It is no secret that Edinburgh and the world of Harry Potter are strongly intertwined since it is the birth place of author J.K. Rowling, but also home to many attractions for Potter fans. From The Elephant House, the café where Jo wrote the series to Victoria Street, the real-life inspiration for Diagon Alley – Potterheads all over the globe come to the capital city to step into the shoes of their favourite novelist.

So why not add to this little trip a few nights in this Hogwarts-inspired flat? You’ll be surprised by its authenticity (some objects that belonged to J.K. Rowling can be found in the rooms) and by its uniqueness.
The master bedroom goes full Gryffindor (that’s a bummer for me and my Slytherin ass) and will remind you of the students’ dorms in the movies. The living room will make you feel like you’re really spending cosy evenings in the Gryffindor common room.
And while all the rooms aren’t a replica of the set, they each feature Harry Potter-inspired decoration.

And good news, the flat is fully functioning and features 2 bedrooms, 1 living room, 1 kitchen and 1 bathroom. There’s even Wi-Fi and a TV, which differs from Hogwarts which seems to be frozen in the 80s for some reason.

Be it with friends or your family, I’m sure you’ll have a lovely stay.

Central Perk, Singapore

As a huge fan of FRIENDS (no, I haven’t seen each episode 14 times, I’m not Dylan O’Brien), I’ve always wanted to have a cup of tea in the famous Central Perk surrounded by actual friends. Singapore residents can now live the dream!
Open everyday from 11am to 11pm, Central Perk serves many FRIENDS-inspired beverages and food.

Here’s a sneak peak of what you can find on their menu:
Regular drinks (coke, juice, tea, name it, you can have it), cocktails and signature coffees – perfectly created and named after your favourite characters. You’ll probably have fun ordering a cappuccino since they all sound like they could have been the title of an episode.

Pizza, pasta and sides: YEP, you can even have a real meal at this coffee place. Each of them are designed to resemble the character’s personality and previous misfortune (eg: Monica’s marinara). And of course, thanks to the lovely Phoebe, there is some vegetarian options.

Add to your meal or your morning coffee some desert! Have the non-stolen Mrs Braverman’s cheesecake (even if you’re full, remember, if you stop eating it, you will regret it) or the Breakup Ice Cream (WE WERE ON A BREAK).

They also host trivia nights, open mic parteys, comedy nights and organise barista courses.

Plus obviously, all the decor of the café is made to look exactly like the one in the famous sitcom. And you can actually sit on the orange couch! Not sure if you’ll be as lucky as our favourite FRIENDS to have a free spot each time you come in though (how was that even possible?).

Game of Thrones-themed hotel, Finland

There’s a hotel in Kittila, Finland that is entirely made of ice and inspired by the hit series Game of Thrones. Fear not, if you are secretly a Stark that is always ready for winter, you can spend a night in this place.

A few months ago, HBO Nordic teamed up with Lapland Hotel to create an amazing accommodation. Let’s walk you through it…
When you enter the hotel, you’ll be greeted by the Hall of Faces. Pretty cool, right? (see what I did there?)
From a replica of the Iron Throne to a map of Westeros in the corridors, you’ll see plenty of references to the show as they are scattered all over the place.
And the best part… One of the rooms in which you can sleep is plainly composed of an ice bed overlooked by a giant King of the Night.
There is basically everything you need in this hotel as it is actually part of a snow village and also features a Game-of-Thrones-themed restaurant, a bar, a chapel and several bedrooms all made of ice.

It is available until 8th of April 2018 since well, it’s made of ice and can’t go on all year round. What the creators suggest is that you only book this room for one night and that you don’t forget to bring tones of layers. It must be chilly in there so you can still head up to the bar to have some drinks and warm up.
One night in the snow suite will cost you 352€ and a standard room 264€ – which is a small price to pay for an unforgettable experience.

If you choose to spend a night there, you’ll truly feel like you’re Beyond the Wall (without the fear of being attacked by a White Walker, of course)

Experiential marketing has been proven effective and will strengthen the attachment towards the brand and the franchise. People are now more than aware that building a business around a famous TV or movie can lead to promising results. One thing is for sure: these things pretty much sell themselves, with thousands of online magazines and social media talking about it. It is a great way to create something fun that will create excitement and attract visitors.

Photo credit : Harry Potter-themed flat, FRIENDS-themed café, Game of Thrones-themed hotel