In the world of Coachella marketing, how do you stand out when everyone’s putting on a show?

Project Overview

Coachella is hosted in early spring at the Empire Polo Club – the premier music festival to kick off the summer. The festival brings over 650,000 people to the Coachella Valley and showcases performances by big-name artists like Doja Cat, Diplo, Rüfüs Du Sol, Lana Del Rey, and more. The traces back to the days of Pearl Jam when bands and fans were boycotting large ticketing services in 1993. The festival has been host to numerous historic performances like Rage Against the Machine (‘99), Daft Punk (‘06), and Amy Winehouse (‘07). Coachella has been nominated over 20 times for Pollstar’s “Music Festival of the Year” and won over half. Now in 2024, the festival spans two weeks and draws people from around the world to see their favorite artists.

Coachella is the epicenter of music, fashion, and modern trends. Celebrities, artists, influencers, and models line the festival grounds – you never know who you might run into. Global brands like Heineken, H&M, YouTube, Bacardi, Google, and Urban Outfitters tap into the limelight of Coachella marketing, lining the fences with ads, branding opportunities, and pop-ups within the festival. Coachella brings brands and businesses into town and generates over $700 million for the local economy and over 5,000 jobs.

Festival Use

The Shore Club stood out with a Picture Flap installed on the side of the space to publicly display the countdown timer. When the large analog clock hit zero, famous artists like Charlie XCX and Bebe Rexha appeared for meet and greets. Impromptu DJ sets were also in the queue – captivating thousands of attendees who eagerly documented the moment and shared it online. The Picture Flap display featured one of our more creative artboards, consisting of clock numbers and colorful graphic patterns on the flaps. The real magic happened behind the scenes where their sign was specially programmed to line up with White Claw’s run of show and special guest performances. The performances were held right inside the Shore Club at specific times – the sign required extensive testing to time up the flipping flaps to second-by-second counts while running on a schedule for a hands-free experience.

Integrations and Extras

The Picture Flap was the analog solution needed to run a countdown timer in the blazing bright sun of the Coachella Valley – something a screen can’t do. Building anticipation with the 3D effect of the flaps and analog animations drew the attention of concertgoers and guests. The sign stopped attendees in their tracks only to walk into the pop-up and find that there were mini concerts within the concert! This project, brought to life by the impressive creative team at Whalefilm, successfully merged social media culture with live event excitement, generating significant buzz, and engagement.

Press and Media

Event Marketer, a leading publication covering experiential marketing, brand activations, and live events, highlighted White Claw in its feature on Coachella marketing, listing it as one of 2024’s top experiential campaigns. Recognized among major global brands, White Claw earned praise for its “CLAW O’Clock” countdown installation at the Shore Club pop-up, where the large analog clock built anticipation for surprise performances and giveaways. The coverage underscored how White Claw used tactile, time-based storytelling to stand out amid the digital noise of festival marketing, an example of how analog experience can create real-world buzz in one of the world’s biggest cultural events.