For the launch of Renaissance Hotel’s new Discover This Way campaign promoting their Navigator concierge program, the brand staged a scavenger hunt-filled evening for loyalty members, press and influencers featuring performances, local personalities and visits to neighbourhood haunts. This unique neighbourhood tour was the brand’s hero activation for the campaign and took place on the 8th annual Global Day of Discovery when 150+ Renaissance Hotel locations around the world celebrate by creating unique experiences for guests.

Our team worked closely with producers to identify design opportunities at various Harlem haunts, created mood boards for the look and feel of the activation, mocked up each venue to facilitate approvals (including branded assets, props and lighting), and designed print and digital assets to be used on-site and pre-event.

Navigators lead guests through a series of performances and pop-up experiences over the course of the evening. Attendees first checked in at the Harlem Parish Church, where they were divided into groups and handed a map detailing the event stops.

• First up was local laundromat Baby Girl’s Bubbles & Cleaners, which was transformed into a shoppable fashion showroom featuring clothing from the Harlem Haberdashery boutique. While shopping, guests enjoyed a performance of the song “Just a Friend” by Harlem rapper Biz Markie.

• Next, comedian Nicole Byer (host of “Nailed It!” on Netflix) performed a comedy set at burger joint Harlem Shake, which typically hosts weekly open mic nights.

• Along the journey, attendees encountered pop-up moments, including a performance from a jazz musician, an iconic Harlem food truck and a dance performance from Virgil Dey and his crew, TheRuggeds, all while Navigators told stories and shared information about the neighborhood. Attendees then moved to a brownstone for an exhibition by graffiti artist Ces featuring tagged traditional hotel items, from house plants to clothing to mirrors.

• The Harlem Parish Church, which functions today as an event space, provided the evening’s final moment: a live performance from singer-songwriter Judith Hill and ballet hip-hop group Hiplet.

Our team also created a toolkit of branded assets to share with partner agencies and Renaissance Hotels world-wide to promote their Global Day of Discovery initiatives.

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RESULTS: The campaign and launch of the Harlem location saw a lot of social impressions.

PRESS:

• Marcus Samuelsson, Biz Markie, Judith Hill & More Celebrate A New Era for Renaissance Hotels in Harlem, Hip Hop Wired →

• On The Scene: Renaissance Hotels Celebrates its 8th Annual Global Day of Discovery, The Knockturnal →

• 8th Annual Global Day of Discovery Celebrated in Harlem, Pursuitist →

• Locals lead a Renaissance Hotels Harlem Scavenger Hunt, Event Marketer →