Each year, the brands that show up at SXSW, now in its 38th year, attempt to embody the host city’s famous slogan, “Keep Austin Weird,” by building their most unique and unexpected experiences. This year, the subject of those activations and discussions centered on the creator economy, experiential brand marketing, and human-centered storytelling. Once again, SXSW proved to be a testing ground for the boldest ideas in marketing.
SXSW brands embrace the creator era
While SXSW has long been a hub for creators–whether visual artists, musicians, or an array of other disciplines–the return of the festival’s Creator Economy track for a second year signals the importance that brands are now placing on the booming industry. Boasting more than 70 sessions, the Creator Economy track explored such creator-centric themes as brand partnerships, influencer marketing, and social strategy, to name a few.
Additionally, several vendors demonstrated their support of creators by showing how they can help more people produce their own content at speed and scale. For example, Nomono promoted a podcast kit that could turn every conversation into a podcast—a medium that only continues to become more popular and relevant for everyday listeners and media buyers alike. Enabling more people to tell their own stories, the kit suggests a world in which the title of “creator” can be adopted by the masses.
SXSW joins Cannes Lions and Sundance as traditional conferences that are breaking down silos around the creator economy to help influencers share information and connect with brands. By doing so, these beacons of the industry are further elevating and legitimizing the power of creators.
“Weird is better than new”
In the Advertising & Brand Experience track, presenters praised the power of leaning into unhinged comedy on social media–a key content strategy to influence Gen Z consumers, who are particularly open to making purchasing decisions based on humor.
“Weird is better than new” was the oft-repeated catchphrase during the panel “Dada for Dada: The Power of Absurdity,” which was hosted by Kati Murphy of the experimental, immersive art exhibition Meow Wolf. The panel itself, which also featured Liquid Death, certainly leaned into the experientially weird, as panelist Aaron Tichenor (better known as @boyabaddie to his several million social media followers) kicked things off by demonstrating the proper way to box jump onto the stage—a nod to his own virality for, among other things, scaling brick walls in six-inch heels. It ended with a bit of tongue-in-cheek absurdism when the hosts opened things up for audience questions and a man dressed as a giant rat bounded onstage, revealing Meow Wolf’s newest pop-up location: New York City.
Experiential brand marketing still rules
Given that brand houses have become a mainstay of SXSW, marketers have upped the ante by embracing the aforementioned absurd and unexpected to stand out. Although each activation was tailored to a brand’s speciality, all of them relied on immersion to execute their ideas.
For instance, joining SXSW international house mainstays was Dubai’s Museum of The Future with an eye-catching blue buildout right in the heart of downtown Austin. Inside, attendees could explore AI-powered artwork and attend futurist panel sessions on everything from space-proof cuisine to lunar colonization. Not all its experiences, though, relied on technology: the standout moment of this activation was free samples of the TikTok-viral Dubai chocolate.
The horror-focused film company Blumhouse Productions translated the immersive nature of its movies to an in-person activation. At “Blum Box,” which was located right next to the Convention Center, attendees could let out their stress from the day by screaming as loud as they needed to. A power meter even recorded the decibel levels.
On the quieter side, the Criterion Mobile Closet gave fans the opportunity to recreate the classic film channel’s social media videos wherein famous actors and directors select and discuss their favorite films from the Criterion collection. The truck’s unexpected popularity saw people driving in from out of town and lining up hours in advance for the opportunity to film inside, like their idols. The popularity even prompted an early shutdown.
Human-centered storytelling is still key in the age of uber-advanced technology
Technology—particularly AI, VR, and smart tech—has the power to transform our craziest and most ambitious ideas into reality while making consumers’ lives easier. For designers, producers, and creatives, the usual suspects showcased the latest in AI-enabled creativity, from artificially generated videos to more sophisticated conceptual “thinking.” Whole Foods and Cracker Barrel, on the other hand, demonstrated how technology can streamline meal personalization, leveraging data from CRM and delivery apps to serve consumers exactly what they want.
Yet despite all the eye-catching innovation and opportunities, the key to lasting traction and consumer recall still centers on human connection. Cheryl Miller Houser of Creative Breed reinforced this idea while hosting a panel on human-centered storytelling. Using case studies, she illustrated how the best brands tap into the emotional part of our brains. Her three guiding principles: Listen with an open heart. Show struggle and triumph. Foster imagination.
Brands strive to build community–in all its forms
In recent years, brands have become obsessed with building and fostering communities–from the micro to the macro. SXSW serves as a reminder that brand community-building activations may also benefit from taking into account the physical community in which an event is located.
The annual gathering has become synonymous with Austin, and its inclusion of the surrounding community–local vendors, artists, restauranteurs, hoteliers, the list goes on–is to thank. When opening the aperture like this, everybody wins. The festival shifts from simply being about information sharing to being about energizing the entire community. Embracing an expanded definition of community, including the real-life people around you, adds depth and authenticity–two qualities that should always be top of mind.
