Madame Mesmer's Bizarre Bazaar

Verizon Media worked with creative studio, Swamp Motel, to deliver an immersive and engaging experience that would enable them to 'own' Halloween in the media industry moving forwards and, in so doing, to enhance brand perception.

The theme of 'Madame Mesmer's Bizarre Bazaar' was based around a cursed circus that appears once every 100 years. Swamp Motel composed a ghost story, which they told through fake websites, eerie newspaper clippings and enigmatic printed invitations. They then transformed the venue (Shoreditch Town Hall) into a lavish theatre set for the circus, with a big top area for show-stopping performances by weird and wonderful entertainers, in addition to backstage rooms for immersive experiences with four brands: HuffPost, RYOT Studio, Xbox and Yahoo!

This unique event was attended by 334 guests representing key agency groups and brands, including GroupM, Publicis, the7stars, Sony and Warner Bros. The post-event survey of attendees showed that ‘Madame Mesmer’s Bizarre Bazaar’ had succeeded in delivering an enjoyable and memorable experience for all guests. Indeed, 90.9% of respondents rated their night at the event an 8/10 or higher and the event was described as “one of the greatest Media parties ever”.