Tuesday, August 11, 2015

Mercedes-Benz, Dos Equis, & TopShop/TopMan Took a Page from Gen Art.

By Laura Medina


This past week, it seems like major corporations, such as Mercedes-Benz, Dow Equis, and TopShop took a page from Gen Art and started their own concert tour, circus tour, and parties attracting the emerging establishment of Gen-Xers and the up&coming Gen-Yers.

Mercedes-Benz's MBEvolution Tour are supporting hot, indie bands like Bastille and throwing free concerts aiming at potential twenty-something buyers and existing Gen-Xer customers like their Bastille concert at the Hollywood Palladium, using their latest car models as backdrop decorations.

Copying a couple of pages from Gen Art work book, companies like Mercedes are using generational tastes to cater and market to the emerging customers.

Who can say "no" to a free concert by hot, rising bands like Bastille? 


Things only get better.

Two nights later, under the Santa Monica moon, Dos Equis has it's own very limited-edition Cirque du Soliel slash party, #LunaRising.

 
It's a traveling circus of acrobats and contortionists painted in goth makeup and gypsy and Egyptian costume celebrating and promoting Dos Equis' limited edition Lager and Amber brews. Each pack and bottle will feature new lunar-themed branding, with unique codes that are printed on the back label of the bottles to enter the contest. Visit DosEquis.com/LunaRising to enter codes and be automatically entered for a chance to win. Every unique code entered represents a chance to win.

Think of Dos Equis' #LunaRising as antidote to those high-demanding all-White Parties where people do love to dress up but are too hesitant to dirty up those white clothes.  At Dos Equis #LunaRising party, let your freak flag fly and let the brew flow freely and get down getting messy.  It's the best Halloween party you can ever had...and it's easy with Dos Equis' snacks and cocktails recipe and party guide.  Being cool never means being a snob.

Taking another page from Gen Art, crowd control.

Even though last-minute meeting instructions were slightly irritating, meeting at the Santa Monica statue at 10:30pm.  There wait Egyptian demi-goddesses checking in guests on their iPads then loading the curious guests onto revved-up shuttle buses.  Where a short loop takes them to downtown Santa Monica's Bay Women's Club, an intimate venue where the Artist's Den shot their Adele concert three years ago.  This was done to prevent crowd chaos on the narrow sidewalks.  But, it does make the guests extra-special that they're invited to an ultra-hip speakeasy.

This touring circus/party is also a great time to debut it's new cocktail-in-a can,  Dos Equis Dos-A-Rita, It’s a surprisingly not-too-sweet blend of real Dos Equis Lager and margarita, with a hint of agave nectar.

You can hire your own artists to perform performance arts at your own shindig with recipes from Dos Equis...


THE MOST INTERESTING SUNSET

Ingredients
  • Pint glass half-full of crushed ice
  • 6 oz. Dos Equis Lager
  • 1 oz. Dr Pepper
  • 1 oz. pineapple juice
  • ½ oz. rum
  • Large lemon slice
  • More ice

 
MOONFIRE

Ingredients
  • Chili powder and salt mixed on a plate
    (dip wetted rim of glass before filling it with liquid)
  • Pint glass half-full of crushed ice
  • 6 oz. Dos Equis Lager
  • 2 oz. Tomato Juice
  • ½ oz. Premium tequila
  • ¼ lemon, squeezed
  • Pinch of salt
  • Pinch of chili powder
  • More ice


 SHOOTING STAR FISH TACOS WITH HOMEMADE SALSA Serves 5

Reach the stars in the kitchen with help of tilapia. These delightful, savory tacos have the perfect balance of fresh flavors to take your party to the next level.


taco Ingredients
  • 1 lb. tilapia fish
  • Extra-virgin olive oil
  • Ground pepper
  • ½ red cabbage, diced
  • 1 cup sour cream
  • Juice of 2 limes
  • Flour tortillas


MIDNIGHT GUACAMOLEServes 6

Get your party started with the appetizer to end all appetizers. Its avocados, limes and spices so delicious, it’s sure to be gone long before the stroke of midnight.


Ingredients
  • 5 avocados of Mexico
  • 2 limes
  • 1 medium white onion
  • 1 large tomato
  • 3 small garlic cloves
  • 3 pineapple slices
  • Salt
  • 1 jalapeño
  • Fancy tortilla chips
HOW TO MAKE IT
Slice the avocados in half. Discard the pit. Scoop the flesh out of the shell with a spoon, and place in a bowl. Add the juice of 1 lime, to prevent browning. Use a fork to mash the desired consistency. Chop the onion, tomato garlic and cilantro. Add mixture to avocados and stir gently. Add the juice of the second lime. Add salt and stir lightly, testing for desired flavor. Dice the jalapeño and combine with guacamole until desired spice is reached. Serve with tortilla chips.
 
 
 GRILLING TIPS

Even the best grill masters can use some tips. Here are a few quick ideas to help make your summer even more mouth-watering.

  1. If you’re applying a lot of dry seasoning, shake things up—in a bag or jar. You’ll avoid a potential mess while fully coating the meat.
  2. Tame the flame with a spray bottle ready for flare-ups. Grill masters who burn the food rarely retain that title.
  3. Spice it up and apply spiced olive oil to the grill before cooking. It keeps food sticking and increases flavor.
  4. Got time? For an extra-fresh taste and to avoid bacterial growth, thaw frozen meat overnight in the refrigerator.
  5. Wrap it before you grill it. For more even cooking, wrap seasoned meat and vegetables in tin foil before grilling.
  6. Don’t be salty. It dries out many meats, and avoid spearing with grilling tools as this causes them to lose moisture.
  7. Light that chip on your shoulder. When lighting the grill, chips of any kind can be used as kindling.
  8. If you have trouble remembering how people like their burgers cooked, have everyone write their preferences on buns using condiments.
  9. For extra moist burgers, add a cube of ice to the top of your patty as it sits on the grill.
Grill responsibly. Carefully follow all grill safety instructions. Never leave a lit grill unattended.
 
 
Speaking of BBQ, TopShop/TopMan threw a picnic for hipsters in an hipster neighborhood park that certainly needed the money.

Again, there's something to be said about corporate money throwing events, they really got the parking issue and crowd control logistics down.

They used shuttle buses to convey guests back and forth and up and down a dirt, narrow road leading to a forgotten park in Angelino Heights, cut off from Downtown Los Angeles by the 110 Freeway.  Smart move on TopShop's part, funding a neighborhood park that badly needed the funds.

Once there, the guests happily picked their blankets, sun umbrellas, and mini floats holding their cocktails, beer, lemonade, and iced teas.

Big kids were kids, bouncing inside a bouncy castle, tossing horseshoes, and chowing down on free ice cream!!!

Big kids also go big kid treatments of updos and braids and flower crowns that can be used later as room deodorant and decorations.

Using corporate money to use concerts, circuses, and picnics to promote their products is fine with this scribe, New World Order.

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