Every year, TV and film studios bring creative activations to San Diego Comic-Con to help promote their shows and movies. These activations are an awesome way for fans to experience their favorite shows and movies in a completely new way.
We’ve rounded up highlights of some of our favorite activations from Comic-Con. Let’s jump in!
‘The Bear’
The Bear is one of the best television shows, and it has quickly become part of the cultural zeitgeist. Jeremy Allen White’s fits in the show have become the stuff of legend. The characters in the show have pulled viewers in and persuaded us to become fully invested in their growth and evolution as people and employees at The Bear (especially Richie’s growth from season 1 to season 2 — we won’t spoil it any further for folks who haven’t watched it yet).
For those who haven’t watched The Bear yet, the series follows Carmy Berzatto, a young chef who has mastered his craft at Michelin-star restaurants, as he transforms his brother’s neighborhood Chicago beef restaurant into a fine dining restaurant. Along the way, he helps his employees grow and develop while struggling with his personal life.
At Comic-Con, FX built a model of the restaurant from the show, and the restaurant was fully staffed with people wearing white tees and aprons embroidered with “The Bear.” Fans took a seat at the bar and were presented with what looked like a sandwich on a silver platter, but the sandwich ended up being an apron — just like what the employees were wearing. The apron might have been the best free swag of the entire Comic Con weekend. We overheard from other attendees that they received hats and shirts instead of aprons during their The Bear experience.
‘Borderlands’
Borderlands is one of the most anticipated movies of the summer. When you couple that with the fact that it’s based on one of the most popular video game series of the century, you realize that Comic-Con is the perfect place to generate excitement for Borderlands. The activation was set up like Moxxi’s Bar from the film/video game. Everyone got a complimentary themed drink, and there were free games where fans could win prizes. To top it all off, Borderlands director Eli Roth and stars Jamie Lee Curtis, Kevin Hart and Bobby Lee joined the festivities at the activation.
‘Abbott Elementary’
In the ABC show Abbott Elementary, Ava (the hilarious principal) organizes an annual party named Ava Fest. This year, the show brought Ava Fest to Comic-Con. It was organized like a circus and had plenty of rides and activities for everyone. Every hour, the Philadelphia Eagles Drumline played, and the festival playlist was curated by Questlove from The Roots.
The Paramount+ Lodge
The Paramount+ Lodgewas the oasis of Comic-Con. The sun was beating down throughout the weekend, and there were very few places where you could get away from the sun and the massive crowd. Comic-Con is awesome, but there are just some times where you don’t want to be shoulder-to-shoulder with people while trudging through an exhibit hall or waiting in the packed Hall H line. The Paramount+ Lodge had several immersive experiences where attendees could relax and have some fun.
‘Spongebob Squarepants’
At the Spongebob experience, people were finally able to try their hand at jellyfishing. The setup was similar to those cash grab games, where a person is inside a box and there’s a windblower blowing cash everywhere as they try to grab as many dollar bills as they can. Except in this game, the cash was replaced by jellyfish, and you stood outside the box with a jellyfish catching net.
‘Ghosts’
The CBS series Ghosts had one of the most unique experiences we’ve ever seen at a Comic-Con activation. The Paramount+ Lodge had a recreation of Woodstone Mansion, including the living room of “The Livings” from the show. Fans were able to go inside and experience an olfactory atelier where they could smell a specialized perfume that served as a unique homage to each of the ghosts in the show. Also, everyone received a perfume/scent to take home with them.
‘Tulsa King’
The Tulsa King experience was home base for anyone who wanted a complimentary drink at the Paramount+ Lodge. Bartenders were serving up themed cocktails and beer. Also, there was a slot machine for anyone who wanted to try their luck at winning a prize.
‘Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles’
If you wanted some food to go with your complimentary drinks, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles pizza joint was perfect for you. They were serving up pepperoni and cheese pizza to help power you through the rest of your day.
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