The best way to understand the power of an experiential marketing campaign is to take a look at some companies that have executed it effectively. The first brand in our experiential marketing campaign series is Dos Equis.

The Campaign

Last fall, Dos Equis launched a national campaign called “Masquerade” to gear their fans up for Halloween and help them “stay thirsty” for the brand. The prize was a trip to New Orleans for the Dos Equis Masquerade, featuring musical guest Q-Tip.

As usual, it would not be a Dos Equis campaign without their brand persona: The Most Interesting Man in the World.

Different from past campaigns, however, The Most Interesting Man doesn’t just tell another adventurous tale. He invites the audience to become part of his story.

The Experience

To kick off the experiential marketing campaign, Dos Equis launched an interactive video. Before a viewer starts playing the video, there is a mission on the screen: “Find The Most Interesting Man’s Little Black Book and Be Rewarded With a Very Interesting Phone Call.”

When the viewer hits play, the screen displays a navigational question. Each navigational choice leads to a different party room and story scenario. Throughout the video, there are several different navigational choices; the viewer’s decision will decide whether he or she can find The Most Interesting Man’s lost little black book.

Additionally, Dos Equis planted 21 virtual reality headsets in a few bars in the brand’s key markets (including Texas). Patrons could enter The Most Interesting Man In The World’s exclusive Masquerade party and travel through the rooms to become a part of the story.

As of today, the interactive video of the experiential marketing campaign has been viewed more than 27 million times. Further, the #xxmasquerade hashtag has 1,777 posts on Instagram. Countless major media platforms have covered their story. From a metrics’ standpoint, the campaign was a huge success.

Why Dos Equis’ Experiential Marketing Campaign Worked

As we discussed in our series’ intro, the key to an experiential marketing campaign is to have digital meet physical. Dos Equis perfectly enabled this integration through their use of technology, storytelling, and a physical event (Dos Equis Masquerade in New Orleans).

The virtual reality headset and interactive video allow viewers to immerse into the fictional world of The Most Interesting Man. With the prize being combined with the physical event of a real Masquerade party in New Orleans, Dos Equis amped up people’s desire to see their fantasies become reality.

The technology perfectly supported the creative strategy, which in turn provided the audience with a fun and relevant experience. From a consumer engagement standpoint, Dos Equis definitely earned themselves a big “Bravo!”