With the quick approach of 2022, the MonsterXP (MXP) team took some time to look back at our favorite activations of 2021…

…whether they be the product it represented, technology utilized, bringing creative concepts to life, or even something more personal, each activation spoke to our team in a different way.

Enjoy our look back at this eventful and exciting year!

Netflix Shadow and Bones (John, CEO/Founder):

For MXP, Netflix Shadow and Bones was the first multi-market storefront activation we developed and implemented coming out of the pandemic.  Storefronts in NYC and LA were transformed into a show-stopping experience, the design for this activation included linked LCD towers, oversized LED walls, custom strobe lighting effects, and expansive static branding. The MXP team came together in a short window to create an out of world experience advertising Netflix’s Shadow and Bones Show.

Picking a Favorite (Chris, President):

How can you pick a favorite child? (Actually, I definitely have a favorite child, I’m just not allowed to tell other people which one he (or she, I guess) is) That said, a few other favorites: TECO Super Bowl was cool as it was the first event of its kind after COVID (and for the Super Bowl). As was Disney – we activated at a popup on Disney Property to help elevate their new cruise ship. vVardis was probably the most interesting – how much digital stuff could we pack into a little Hamptons popup. 

My overall answer would probably be that I think the significance behind Secret made that activation particularly meaningful – the overall concept of hosting a public watch party in an iconic NYC location like Columbus Circle/Central Park to elevate and draw attention to women’s athletics at the highest international level is pretty cool. There’s probably something psychologically about having a daughter at around the same time as making that happen that makes this activation resonate, but I won’t draw that direct line… 

M&Ms Creative Concepts Brought to Life (Josh, Interactive Development and Owen, Software Engineering):

MXP created two concepts for M&Ms: Jam Sesh and Watch with M Photo Moment. While these were smaller campaigns they both used updated technology from a creative development standpoint, opening the door for our creative team to build interesting frameworks which have potential to be impactful tools in future activations. These developments were made possible by advancements to our platform which added the ability to reuse technology and create a new form of touchless interaction without pre-determined campaigns.

For M&M’s Jam Sesh, the team was given the opportunity to look at the audio mixing and recording features within software Unity as well as port our existing video compositing codebase. 

M&M’s Watch with M Photo Moment, gave our creative team the opportunity to build out a solid system to connect user phones to an individual system for a user to interact with it in real time. This system can make interaction with systems that can’t for whatever reason have touch much more usable in the future. This project also gave us the chance to flesh out and put newer mailer technologies through their paces.

You Don’t Just Taste It. You Feel It. (James, Logistics):

Just like software advancements, digital technology is constantly advancing by enthralling customers with the newest and most life-like visual presentations. With one of our more recent activation, Philadelphia Cream Cheese, we utilized more LED digital to enhance the interactive project,  something we believe would be a great benefit to clients looking to maximize engagement in 2022.

Multiple Elements in One Activation (Hallie, Chief Strategy Officer):

Age of Empires was a one-day activation which blended so many different elements including the living diorama, props and digital activation in the iconic setting of Times Square, NYC. Utilizing Brand Ambassadors, life-size props, and other elements which enhanced the digital presence and brought history to life.

 Keeping things cool with LED for Canada Goose in South Coast Plaza (Angel Sanchez, VP of Operations):

Canada Goose’s newest store in California’s South Coast Plaza broke ground earlier this year and included an unexpected feature; a real snow room. To accompany this unique experience, MonsterXP installed an LED wall with a partial ceiling wrap that enhanced the snow room’s entrance to a whole new level using LG’s latest LED technology. 

Concluding Thoughts:

With each activation we learned more about the new trends we are seeing for creative development and technology being utilized to showcase those concepts.

We are looking forward to 2022 where we get to utilize what we learned in 2021, continuing to partner with clients looking to push the boundaries on experiential activations.