When it comes to engaging both existing and prospective customers, the May 2018 interactive ideas show brands turning to unique pop-ups, apps and campaigns that emphasize mindfulness. Some of the top examples of this include Ketel One launching a plant-filled bar space in London and Sombra Mezcal choosing to host a virtual cocktail competition to showcase its commitment to sustainability.
While some brands are leveraging cutting-edge augmented reality technology and NFC chips to help consumers unlock exclusive experiences, others are turning to the aid of voice assistants for marketing. To promote the return of one of its TV series, Channel 4 launched a campaign that has people to interact with either Google Assistant or Amazon Alexa. Similarly, Virgin Trains now lets passengers place their ticket order via Alexa-enabled devices, which are also equipped to answer various questions about its transportation service.
Top 40 Interactive Ideas in May
40
Luxurious Music Festival Tents
Marriott's Luxe Temporary Dwellings are Lush, Cozy & Exclusive
39
Experiential Beauty Activations
Rihanna and Sephora Tailored the Summer Body Launch to Millennials
38
Streetside Jewelry Brand Campaigns
The #TiffanyBlue Campaign Coats NYC Streets in an Iconic Color
37
Shoppable Fashion Storefronts
Fred Segal and Mastercard Created a 'Rock ‘n Roll Holy Land'
36
Interactive AR Messengers
The New AR Facebook Messenger Camera Effects Create Engaging Experiences
35
High-Fashion VR Experiences
Balmain's Store Design by Olivier Rousteing Shares "My City of Lights"
34
Zero-Waste Cafe Pop-Ups
Ecover's Cafe Will Only Accept Recyclable Plastic as Payment
33
Multi-Sensory Fabric Pop-Ups
Hermes' 'Silk Mix' Shares Experiences Centered Around Luxury Silk
32
AR Unboxing Experiences
adidas' Deerupt Sneaker Can Be Discovered Online with a Virtual Reveal
31
Race-Themed Free Webcomic Experiences
The We Race Comic is Sponsored by Scuderia Ferrari
30
Customizable Mystic Phone Cases
Google Has Partnered With the Broadbent Sisters for its Live Cases
29
Festival-Integrated Voice Assistants
Google's Talk to Coachella Keeps Users Close to the Festival
28
Clean-Air Bars
Ketel One Vodka is Launching an Eco, Plant-Filled Drinking Space
27
Gamified Cleanup Events
Pokemon Go is Hosting a Garbage Collection Event for Earth Day
26
Japanese Dessert Pop-Ups
The Haagen-Daaz Sabo Pop-Up Fuses Ice Cream, Traditional Sweets and Tea
25
Rewarding NFC Sneakers
Nike's Limited-Edition Sneakers Share Perks with NikePlus Members
24
Empowering Stacked Shoes
Converse's All Star Lifts Support Artists and Empowers the Community
23
Feed-Balancing Social Campaigns
Vice is Asking People to 'Like What You Hate' on Facebook
22
Social Media Queueing Campaigns
Nike Created a Virtual #AirMaxLine for Sneakerheads on Instagram
21
Virtual Cocktail Competitions
Sombra Mezcal is Hosting a Sustainable Cocktail Competition
20
Robotic Museum Guides
The Smithsonian is Introducing Pepper as a New Guide for Guests
19
Branded Avatar Outfits
Hollister Created a Spring Collection of Bitmoji Outfits for Snapchat Users
18
Voice Assistant Coupons
Google and Target Collaborated on a Voice Coupon for Google Assistant
17
Biscuit Brand Board Games
'Milka Biscuit Run' is a Board Game Featuring Advertising Characters
16
Promotional AR Pets
Three's 'Puggerfly' Mascot is the First-Ever Augmented Reality Snapchat Pet
15
Digital Product Labs
Lush Cosmetics' 'Lush Labs' Connects Consumers to Products in R&D
14
Insect-Sized VR Experiences
Haagen-Dazs Created 'The Extraordinary Honey Bee' VR Experience
13
Blind Beer-Tasting Campaigns
Meantime Brewing Shared 20,000 Free Pints of Unbranded Beer
12
River-Focused AR Experiences
The WWF Free Rivers AR is Meant to Educate About Water and Life
11
Hilarious Spring Cleaning Campaigns
SpongeTowels Polished the Streets of Toronto on April 27th
10
Incentivized Reusable Bags
Tesco's Unforgettable Bag Rewards Conscious Consumers with Discounts
9
Responsive Beauty Shops
The Shiseido Flagship Boasts a Next-Gen Counter and Consulation Mirror
8
AR Festival Merch Shops
At Coachella, American Express Unveiled a Shoppable AR Experience
7
Social Media-Savvy Escalators
In an Attempt to Humanize Technology, KONE's Escalator Has Twitter
6
Artful Body Wash Galleries
Suave's 'Under Your Nose' Presents Personal Care Products as Art
5
Voice-Activated TV Campaigns
Channel 4 Launched 'The Human Test' to Promote Its Humans TV Series
4
Contactless Donation Screens
The Give DIFFerently's 24-Hour Donation Point is a New Way to Give
3
City-Celebrating Soda Cans
The Limited-Edition Coca-Cola Sleek Can Shares AR Experiences
2
Voice-Ordered Train Tickets
Virgin Trains is Now Selling Tickets Via Amazon Alexa
1
App-Connected Cyberbullying Campaigns
Shazam Created Inaudible Sounds to Help "Unmute Daniel"
Related Ideas
Experiential Multisensory Pop-Ups
Pleasing's Immersive PleasingLand Includes a “Scent Arcade”
Creative Retail Competitions
Bricks & Minifigs Launches LEGO Clock Design Contest
Grocery-Inspired Beauty Pop-Ups
The Markup Marché by The Ordinary Challenges Industry Buzzwords
Art-Display Smart TVs
Amazon Turns Televisions into Gallery-Style Digital Canvases
AI Beauty Shopping Apps
Amorepacific Introduces a ChatGPT-Based Shopping App
Interactive AI Storytelling Platforms
Character.AI Introduced Books Mode
Summer Fragrance-Inspired Pop-Ups
Maison Margiela Launched a Pop-Up Café in Amsterdam
Shoppable TV Ads
Samsung and Amazon Enable Remote-Based Shopping Directly on TV
AI-Driven Shoppable Catwalks
Topshop and THG Studios are Hosting a Next-Gen Fashion Experience
Luxury Eyewear Pop-Ups
Prada Opens an Immersive Eyewear Boutique at The Grove
Community-Driven Shopping Experiences
A TikTok Shop Pop-Up is Coming to Westfield Stratford
Experiential fragrance
CPL Aromas Creates Interactive Scent Worlds for Emotional Engagement
Conversational Shopping Experiences
Ask Pinterest Debuts on the Ask Pinterest App
AI Chat Shopping Systems
Shopify Brings Retail to ChatGPT
Fashion-Inspired Food Marketing
Magnum Blends Beauty, Music and Luxury Culture into Its Brand
AI-Powered Marketing Systems
Gap Introduced Its AI Marketing Overhaul With Google Cloud’s Gemini
Scent Spritz Billboards
goodwipes' Scentsational Summer Billboard Releases Scent Every 30 Seconds
Immersive K-Beauty Pop-Ups
TIRTIR Brings Jeju Matcha Skincare to NYC with a Sensory Experience
Interactive Advertising Installations
Intimissimi's 'Feel the Billboard' Uses Tactile Advertising
Fashion-Branded Café Experiences
Vogue Blends Retail with Immersive Hospitality Spaces
Interactive Toy Experiences
Spin Master Highlights Opportunities in the Toy Sector in 2026
Experiential K-Beauty Retail
Yepoda Opens an Immersive Flagship Store in Seoul
Gamified Condiment Experiences
HEINZ’s Ketchup Blast Turns Meals Interactive
Generative AI Retail Strategies
Kroger & Google Cloud Enhance Growth and Personalization
In-Store Audience Analytics Platforms
Walmart Connect Mexico Deploys Advertima For Real-Time Store
Rewards-Based Beauty Devices
Sephora Expanded its Rewards Catalog With High Tech Skincare Tools
Sensory Retail Experiences
Claire’s Launches ASMR-Inspired Stores for Gen Alpha Shoppers
Clinical K-Beauty Pop-Ups
Rejuran Debuts Science-Led Skincare Through a Sephora LA Activation
Rogue AI Assistant Ads
The Amazon Alexa+ Big Game Ad Shows the Voice AI's Playful Side
Entertainment-Powered Retail Experiences
AT&T Brings Toy Story 5 to Interactive Store Activations
Lab-Inspired Skincare Pop-Ups
The Ordinary Immersive Experience Tackles Skincare Misinformation
Beer Brand Nature Campaigns
Corona Launched Its Living Is Calling With a Tripadvisor Partnership
Data-Driven Digital Experiences
Samsung Unveiled a Color-Changing Installation in London
AI Travel Planning
Mindtrip Turns Tourism Website Content into Personalized Travel Itineraries
AI-Driven Fragrance Concept Stores
My Scent Edit Offers Digital Consultations & an AI Photo Booth
Grocery-Inspired SPF Pop-Ups
Beauty of Joseon's Morning Moisturizer SPF Grocery is Experiential
Festival Beauty Activations
Medicube Brings Skincare Tech and Experiences to Coachella
Experiential Brand Stores
New Era Creates Interactive Retail Space With Custom Cap Design
Hotline Beauty Campaigns
Florence by Mills Rewards Ulta Shoppers Through a Branded Hotline
Playable Brand Universes
adidas and Brawl Stars Connect Gaming, Apparel and Live Fan Experiences
Gaming Lifestyle Collections
Toca Boca and MINISO Blend Retail with Digital Rewards
Voice-Activated Beauty Devices
The MediSpa Inclusive Beauty System Includes an AI Coach
Multi-Sensory Spa Experiences
111SKIN and Myndstream Created Two Bespoke Sonic Journeys for Guests
AI-forward home brand visions
LG Electronics presented its AI in Action strategy at CES 2026
Health-Focused Interactive Pop-Ups
Ancient + Brave Ran the Live Bravely Pop-Up in California
Experiential Brand Cafés
Nutella Reimagines Its Chicago Café with Digital Ordering and a New Menu
Pop-Up Streaming Service Experiences
EE and Netflix Partnered for an Immersive Experience
Conversational Search Ad Features
Google Unveiled AI Max for Search Campaigns
Cosmetics-Focused Mobile Retail Apps
Clarins and Merkle Collaborate on a Mobile Application
AI-Powered Shopping Features
John Lewis Launches a TikTok Shop Trial
Mobile Luxury Boutiques
Mytheresa Tours the Hamptons with a Curated Mobile Boutique
Mobile Beauty Pop-Ups
Henkel’s göt2b Debuts a Citywide Mobile Beauty Experience
Personalized AI Billboards
Mercado Libre's Custom Billboards Analyze Their Surroundings and Adapt
Feel-Good Hotlines
Harry's Interactive Mural Provides an Opportunity to Check In
Pick-Your-Own Bouquet Billboards
5,000 Tesco Mother’s Day Tulips Formed an Interactive Display
AI-Driven Fragrance Experiences
The HOLA Fragrance Pop-Up Features a Scent-to-Language Experience
Sensory Summer Shop Activations
Claire’s Launches Its A Girl SMR at Claire’s Campaign
Multi-App AI Assistants
OpenAI’s ChatGPT Integrations Orchestrate Tasks Across Everyday Apps
AI Beauty Apps
Refresh App Combines Hair, Makeup and Styling in One AI Platform
Mood-Based AI Product Discovery
Starbucks Uses ChatGPT to Recommend Drinks Based on User Mood
Conversational Travel Booking
Mindtrip Uses AI to Simplify Flight Planning and Checkout
AI Agent Booking Systems
Fresha, Which Operates in Beauty & Wellness, Signals the Prevalence of AI
In-Car AI Assistants
ChatGPT Voice Expands to Apple CarPlay
Anti-Algorithm Social Platforms
Buzzfeed’s Branch Office Creates Interactive AI-Powered Apps
Next-Gen Consumer Goods Technologies
Unilever and Google Cloud Partner to Produce Strong Products
AI-Powered Shopping Tools
Target Partners with ChatGPT to Highlight New AI Shopping Capabilities
Curated Discovery Stores
The Shelf Spotlights Emerging Food, Drink and Wellness Brands
Experiential Grocery Campaigns
No Name launches a multi-city grocery goss campaign
Emotionally Intelligent Retailer Platforms
JK Tech Spotlights Its Artificial Intelligence Platform
AI-Powered Retail Platforms
Target Introduced a Mobile App Rebuild with AI Coding Companions
Behavior-Based Smart Homes
Google Home automations adapt to routines, moods, and behaviors
Immersive Queue Displays
Samsung Transforms Everland Wait Lines with Interactive 3D Safari Visuals
AI Marketing Features
Adweek Introduced Its Agentic AI Insights With ADWEEK Possible House Chat
Bubble Wrap Billboards
Tombola's Interactive Billboards Engage Passersby with a Sensory Activity
Sports Lifestyle Retail
Nordstrom Blends World Cup Fashion with Immersive Pop-Ups
Experience-Enhancing POS Retail Apps
MomentScience Reveals MomentApps
AI Beauty-Wellness Business Platforms
Fresha Connect Forms an Advanced Communication Ecosystem
Interactive Artisan Coffee Campaigns
The Illy Summer Campaign Will Immerse Consumers
Activity Gear Billboards
Ocean Spray's Reclaim Happy Hour Activation Got Australians Up & Moving
Outcome-Simulation Skincare
Haut.AI and OLAY Visualize Product Effects Before Purchase
First-Of-Its-Kind Consumer Aesthetics Events
OrangeTwist Debuts the TwistX Event
AI Shopping Assistants
Amazon Alexa Uses AI to Personalize Product Search and Purchases
Immersive Character Experiences
Sanrio Brings Kuromi to Life with an Interactive KCON Activation
Elemental Retail Spaces
Goldwin Creates a Multi-Sensory Retail Environment in New York City
Integrated AI shopping
David’s Bridal Integrates Products into ChatGPT and Copilot
AI Product Design Assistants
Arcade's Agent Maia Helps Anyone Create Custom Jewelry, Decor & Gifts
In-Store Audio Channels
Custom Channels Unveils Unified In-Store Engagement Platform
Martini-Themed Immersive Campaigns
No. 3 London Dry Gin Debuts the Martini Fitting Boutique
AI-Personalized Streaming Ads
Amazon Customized Prime Video Ads Using Shopping Behavior Data
In-Person Creativity Cafe Campaigns
The Made in Starbucks Campaign Spotlights Customer Creativity
Empowering Vibe Coding Campaigns
Paris Hilton is the First Android Icon in Residence
AI Communication Bars
URway Holdings AI Connect Bar Showcased At NRF 2026
Fandom Retail Experiences
TOUS les JOURS Transforms Bakery Cafés into BTS Fan Destinations
Personalized Neuroaesthetic Experiences
113 Spring's Emergence Service Supports Creative Expansion
AI-Native Beauty Commerce
L'Oréal Brings Virtual Try-Ons and Product Discovery into ChatGPT
Home Furnishing Shopping Assistants
Ask Cleo Recommends Products Based on Shopper Descriptions
AI-Native Advertising Platforms
Criteo Expands ChatGPT Ads with Prompt Smart Ads Globally
Interactive Retailer Screen Installations
Looma Deploys Its In-Store Digital Media System at BJ's
Conversational Visual Shopping
Amazon Lens Live Matches Products Through Real-Time Scanning
Agency Vibe-Coding Platforms
Havas' 'Brand Insights AI' Is a Claude-Powered GEO Product
Toy-Themed Real Estate Campaigns
Barbie and Rightmove Partnered for an Immersive Experience
Gemini-Powered Ask Buttons
YouTube Introduced an 'Ask' Button for its Smart TV App
Agentic Beauty Shopping
Ulta Beauty Integrates Gemini AI for Seamless Product Discovery
Experiential Tabletop Launches
MindWare Brings Immersive Game Demos to Gen Con 2026
Creator-Led Beauty Commerce
Amazon India Combines Creator Content and Beauty Shopping
Conversational Video Discovery
Youtube Introduces AI-Powered Search with Interactive Responses
AI Destination Assistants
Meet Boston Launches AI-Powered WhatsApp Trip Planning
Interactive Live Shows
Cirque du Soleil's Interactive Experience Offers Multi-Device Exploration
Dynamic In-Game Integrations
Adrenaline Interactive Unveiled Brand Fusion AI
Experiential Wine Campaigns
Avaline Partners with Proper Hotels for a Summer Music Series
AI Concierge Assistants
Playlist Launches a Specialized Virtual Front Desk Assistant
Attention Economy Agencies
VaynerX Launches Tamara Group to Drive Social-First Brand Relevance
Personalised Immersive Wellness
Emergence at 113 Spring is a New Multi-Sensorial Wellness Curation
AI-Driven Platform Updates
Yelp Spring Product Release 2026 Introduces the Yelp Assistant
AI Ordering Assistants
Alexa+ Introduces Conversational Food Ordering
Predictive Mobile Advertising Features
T-Mobile Advertising Solutions Unveiled Contextual AI Ads
Ad-Friendly Vertical Video Feeds
Instacart Debuts the Immersive Feed Feature on Its Platform
Interactive Convention Activations
LEGO SMART Play Transforms Comic-Con into Immersive Experiences
Hybrid Beauty Discovery
Ulta Beauty Finds Gen Alpha Blends AI Tools with In-Store Shopping
Physical-World Data Marketing
WPP Uses Google Earth AI to Predict Real-World Consumer Behavior
Women-Focused Curated Pop-Up Experiences
tm:rw Introduces the Bloom Pop-Up Concept Until April 15
AI Beauty Marketing Platforms
Coty Uses Pencil to Scale AI-Generated Campaigns
Interactive Streaming Ads
Spotify Turns Listening into Engagement with Carousel Ads
Retail Beverage Experiences
The Paper Store Uses Custom Drink Stations to Boost Engagement
Phygital Loyalty Experiences
Lush Links App Rewards to In-Store Events and Services
Conversational AI Advertising
Snapchat Introduces AI-Powered Chat-Based Brand Interactions
AI-Powered Native Video Ads
TripleLift Powers GUESS FRAGRANCES Big Game Campaign
Local Restaurant Activations
Pepsi Hosts Community Events to Drive Restaurant Discovery
Global Brand Refresh Systems
'Face the Future' Announces Rebrand With ShopTalk Studio
Aerial AI Concierge Apps
This Voice-Activated Service Will Assist Virgin Atlantic Passengers
AI Kitchen Design Platforms
3D Cloud Introduces Conversational Tools for Custom Kitchen Planning
AI-Powered Superapps
Grab Introduces AI Features That Simplify Decisions and Automate Daily Tasks
Data-Led Brand Creation
AS Watson Builds Brands Using Shopper Insights and Loyalty Data
AI Visibility Services
Noise Media's AI Visibility Service Helps Brands Stand Out in AI Search
AI-Powered Customer Feedback Systems
Sweat & Tonic Partners with Clootrack to Enhance Experience
In-Game Music Experiences
Toca Boca Integrates Music From Major Artists Into Gameplay
Time Reclamation-Focused Cleaning Campaigns
Maid Brigade Launches a Cheeky Summer Ad Campaign
Conversational Shopping Assistants
Macy’s New Ask Macy’s Chatbot Launches on Gemini
Retail Conversation Marketing Campaigns
Tesco Launches 'Need Anything From Tesco' Platform
Personalized AI Shopping Experiences
Walmart Launches a Branded ChatGPT Environment