Concept
Emily Kraftman, senior brand manager at AB InBev, says its House of Mask immersive concept is core to making this connection. "Being a night-life brand, we wanted to create the dream experience to trial products and allow individuals to experience it themselves," she says.
House of Mask was conceived in April at venue The Yard in Shoreditch, and has acted as the model for further experiences in Bristol, Manchester and Glasgow. The main aim, according to Kraftman, has been to create a sense of mystery and surprise. "We announce each event with initial engagement on social and digital platforms. Consumers are then asked to 'follow the skull', Cubanisto's trademark branding, to register for up to four tickets for an event in a secret location within a city," she says.
Experience
The latest House of Mask experience took place on Friday 12 September at The Laundry, on Warburton Road in Hackney, north London. A strange and enigmatic entrance was the first touchpoint for guests, with white lights, smoke and a 'confession cheque bank' where participants had to write down a confession in order to get in.
An Alice in Wonderland-style corridor, which became increasingly smaller the further you walked along it, led to a main party area where attendees were able to sample Cubanisto, listen to live music, watch live art being created and discover other surprise elements by collecting jigsaw pieces and using a bespoke 3D-printed key to unlock boxes containing prizes.
Success
The demand from consumers to attend House of Mask experiences in their region demonstrates how successful Cubanisto's secret events concept has been. Experiences are set to take place throughout the remainder of 2014, including at a secret location on Liverpool Docks and an unknown destination in Birmingham. The activity is also being amplified in 'experience rooms' in nightclubs nationwide, as well as at smaller events at 50 partner bars across the country.