Marketing Highlights from SXSW XX

The annual South By Southwest Music Conference and Festival recently celebrated its 20th anniversary (March 10-19 in Austin, TX) with its highest attendance, artist participation, and international contingency ever - making it a hotbed of opportunity for marketers. Following are brands who took advantage of this opportunity to reach a highly concentrated community of influencers:

Levi's/The Fader: Now an annual tradition, the Levi’s/Fader Trading Post is one of the most popular daytime hangout spots at the festival. Outfitted with all the latest Levi’s gear and plenty of Fader/Cornerstone Promotion paraphernalia, the huge outdoor/indoor space at the end of Sixth Street was packed with musicians who came through for fittings and photo ops and droves of people with the invite-only wristbands who came to see some of the hottest acts performing. Red Stripe was flowing and there was plenty of Glaceau Vitamin Water to keep the crowds hydrated.

Zippo Lighters: They had a massive customized 1947 Chrysler parked outside a venue on Sixth Street; the real crowd stopper was the giant flaming lighter that flipped open between the front and backseats of the car. Every single person who walked by stopped to take photos with their mobile or digital cameras.

Toyota Yaris: These won’t actually be on the market until later in the year, but there were three of these ethanol fueled, iPod-enabled cars floating around the conference that attendees could catch free rides (within a two mile radius) with.

Yeah Yeah Yeahs: Taxi receipts advertised the Yeah Yeah Yeahs’ new album Show Your Bones. Since everyone who came to the conference relies heavily on taxis, the number of impressions the Yeah Yeah Yeahs received, particularly among music journalists and industry players, was significant.

HT: Trendcentral