When first impressions are done right, consumers develop a lasting brand perception tied closely to the first moments of an interaction.
Event marketing relies heavily on creating positive associations through anchor activation. With the right hook, you can draw in foot traffic, increase brand awareness, create a memorable moment, and open up opportunities for lead capture.
The trick is finding effective ways to accomplish these goals. Other brands’ success stories can serve as your road map. One such story is the recent Super Bowl LX Experience, presented by Jersey Mike’s Subs.
The Super Bowl LX Experience
The brainchild of marketing studio LDJ Brands, the Super Bowl LX Experience was a fan festival that took place in San Francisco during the lead-up to the big game. This real-world activation, sponsored by sandwich shop Jersey Mike’s Subs, featured a massive interactive prize wheel among its attractions.
A behind-the-scenes clip of the activation shows the prize wheel being set up in a branded booth within the larger event space. The reel showcases the high visibility of the wheel and its attention-grabbing elements, such as the wheel’s eye-catching spinning movement, vivid LED light display, and contrasting, branded colors.
Each element creates an immediate link between Jersey Mike’s Subs and a fun, festive vibe.
A Wheel With Wow Factor
Interactive displays and prizes increase consumer engagement and investment during brand events. For the Super Bowl LX Experience, Spinning Designs provided a 60" White LED Floor-Standing Magnetic Prize Wheel featuring branded colors and graphics, a prominent center logo, and removable magnetic prize sections.
The wheel served as the centerpiece for a booth setup with the Jersey Mike’s logo and slogan, “A Sub Above,” displayed overhead. It was flanked by two branded islands that created a physical and visual funnel to the prize wheel.
Prize panels on the wheel offered giveaways of between one and thirteen subs. Sandwich names and high-resolution images on each panel served to reinforce brand messaging.
The wheel shipped on a tight timeline after design approval and was quickly assembled and installed on-site. It withstood days of heavy traffic and exuberant spins by enthusiastic players. This impactful, interactive element was integral to drawing attention and boosting engagement throughout the event.
Capturing Crowd Attention
Brands looking to replicate the success of the Super Bowl LX Experience in San Francisco can take several lessons from this collaboration between LDJ Brands and Jersey Mike’s Subs. What made the prize wheel central to this event’s activation strategy?
Low Barrier to Entry
The best interactive displays for events grab attention and offer a low barrier to entry. Prize wheels are particularly well-suited to these objectives.
Even if a participant has never interacted with a prize wheel, they can easily understand how to play: Simply spin the wheel until the stopper lands on a prize. Virtually anyone can participate, and each win promotes a positive anchor experience.
Watchability
Because prize wheels offer dynamic movement and speedy wins, they support easy interactions and exciting brand moments. They also generate crowds. The prospect of winning induces a feel-good dopamine release in the brain that fuels immediate investment.
As the crowd lines up to watch and wait their turn to play, a high-energy atmosphere develops, attracting even more attention. The visual and auditory elements of the wheel and the cheers of the winners create a crowd magnet that feeds on itself and continues to grow.
Line Flow
The simplicity of play is a key factor in the success of prize wheels for activation and engagement. Even if a large crowd and a long line form, gameplay is fast, which keeps the line moving. This means that the positive experience doesn’t turn into boredom or frustration.
Repeatable Moment
Prize wheels create repeatable moments, as each player walks away happy with a prize in hand. The excitement lies in not knowing the size or value of the prize, but nobody loses. This makes events memorable and encourages social sharing, delivering a large ROI for brands.
Crafting a Custom Experience of Your Own
While you can draw inspiration from the Super Bowl LX Experience, you’ll want to create your own unique spin, so to speak, on any interactive elements in your trade booth or corporate event space. Several factors play a role in defining success and ROI from your marketing spend.
Size
The first decision is practical: the size of your prize wheel. Choose a wheel that works with the size of your available space or your trade show booth layout. Address logistical concerns like whether a table, floor, or wall mount offers the greatest visibility and accessibility. For mounts, cases, and setup add-ons, start with prize wheel accessories.
The size also determines how many prize panels you can reasonably include, the impact of graphic elements, and the ease of transport, storage, and setup.
Prize Strategy
Your prize strategy depends on your goals, target audience, perceived value, and budget. Most brands offer a range of easily winnable smaller prizes, along with limited chances to win a few larger prizes. The variety of prizes offered should account for audience diversity without becoming logistically impractical.
Artwork Readability
Branded elements, including colors, logos, text, and graphics, must be large enough to be easily recognizable. Could you squeeze one hundred prize panels onto a large wheel? Maybe, but if people can’t easily see what prizes are offered, they tend to lose interest. Less isn’t always more, but moderation should be part of your visual strategy.
Staffing
A prize wheel requires minimal staffing to manage, unlike more complex games. One person on the front end can handle tasks like drawing in passersby, scanning badges, and keeping the line moving. Another person on the back end will hand out prizes and drive lead generation.
Lighting
Adding LED lighting to a prize wheel can boost visual interest and engagement. It increases the perceived value of your display, and by extension, your brand.
Make It Your Own
The Super Bowl LX Experience is a prime example of a branded event display done right. With thoughtful planning and customization, you can draw inspiration from the success of this collaboration and adapt it to suit your own goals and event parameters.
Start by exploring the many prize wheel options and features we offer at Spinning Designs. Contact us now to request a custom build.
