June was Pride Month in the US, and Yahoo teamed up with brand experience company Superfly to create a fun and innovative activation to engage people at Pride events across the country as part of its larger Pride initiatives globally.
Yahoo’s Pride Month theme was “Let’s Glow,” which Superfly ran with to design an innovative “Glow & Go!” human car wash activation that kicked off in DC and will still be popping up at additional Pride events throughout the July and August in secondary markets that Yahoo is targeting for recruitment.
The “Glow & Go!” human car wash setup includes a purple sequin wall and retro car wash elements. Guests can enter and receive a coat of body glitter based on a selection of predetermined designs from Power Washer brand ambassadors. The final step is the Turbo Dry Cycle, an Instagram-worthy photo station complete with a fan station to blow air at and “dry off” attendees.
“The design was inspired by throwback car washes of childhood and being mesmerized by all the bright colors, loud music, shimmery plastic strip curtains, spinning buffers, shiny finishes and retro signage,” Matt Dillman, Creative Director at Superfly, tells XLIVE. “We felt this aesthetic nod to a simple pleasure of the past would be complementary to the overall vibe of Pride, while still allowing our activation to stand out in the crowd.”
This activation is enabling Yahoo to get in front of its audience while also incorporating elements of activism, which is becoming increasingly important in how consumers and employees view brands — particularly younger generations. Superfly also took this into consideration when designing the event concept.
“Consumers are looking for brands to take a stand and they expect for them to take meaningful actions to create a better, more accepting and more inclusive world,” says Superfly’s VP, Head of Strategy, Meghan Taylor. “When it comes to the LGBTQ+ community in particular, we know that consumers are positively influenced by brands that celebrate Pride by demonstrating authentic inclusivity and showing support for the community.
“For this experience, our aim was to create a celebratory activation which would be additive to the overall Pride festivities and accentuate the glow each individual already brings to these events.”
