SXSW 2025 saw a slew of brands erecting pop-up activations that gave the annual festival the feel of an immersive playground, drawing large crowds and generating significant buzz on social media. From experiential stunts to star-studded events, these branded spectacles are just one of the many ways the ad industry is making its mark on this year’s conference, which runs through Saturday.

Some brands hosted lavish parties, such as Gorton’s Seafood’s shrimp-themed fiesta, while others opted for quieter presences. Whataburger, for example, hosted an art gallery featuring 200 brand-themed pieces designed by fans. And thanks to SXSW’s status as a cultural moment, each marketing activation was able to leverage the power of social influencers to reach audiences beyond Austin, Texas.

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From Whataburger’s gallery to Criterion’s insanely popular mobile film closet, here are Ad Age’s top five brand activations at SXSW.

No. 5: Aveeno’s oat-themed cafe 

Skin care brand Aveeno hosted a pop-up cafe in Austin called Oat Oasis, drawing on the natural themes of its products to provide a cozy stop for busy event-goers. The cafe featured oat lattes with Aveeno logos drawn into the foam (thanks to a robot), plenty of comfy seating and an array of skin care products from Aveeno’s spring line, including the inspiration for the event: an oat gel moisturizer.

No. 4: A Pleasing hotel

Following its presence at last year’s SXSW with a saloon-themed pop-up, Pleasing showed up this year with its own hotel called The Pleasing Inn. The Harry Styles-owned nail care brand took over multiple poolside suites at the Austin Motel, decking out each with a different theme. A so-called “Valet Service Suite” sold Pleasing merch, including clothes and key rings, while the “Salon Suite” offered nail and fragrance products.

No. 3: Gorton’s Seafood’s shrimp-fueled party

Gorton’s Seafood made its SXSW debut with a shrimp and cocktail party. Held at Parlor Room in the Rainey Street Historic District, the party featured Gorton’s numerous shrimp products, including coconut shrimp, beer-battered shrimp and shrimp tacos. The two-day event also included live cooking demos, a merch wheel and 16 live music performances. With the help of dozens of influencers fueling a push on social media, Gorton’s party saw roughly 3,500 attendees.

No. 2: Whataburger’s physical Museum of Art

Burger chains aren’t typically associated with art, but that didn’t stop Whataburger from hosting a gallery that promoted over 200 brand-themed pieces collected from its Whataburger Museum of Art (WMOA) Instagram page. Filling the gallery were paintings, murals, sculptures and interactive installations all drawing on Whataburger products and iconography, including burgers, drive-thrus and hungry faces. San Antonio-based Whataburger has showcased these fan-produced creations on Instagram since 2021, but this year’s SXSW marked the first time the WMOA received the full-on physical treatment.

No. 1: Criterion’s Mobile Film Closet

Criterion packed up its famous collection of movies and took it on the road to Austin, where it held “The Criterion Mobile Closet.” The film distribution company stuffed tons of flicks inside of a white van, which fans could peruse and then film short videos holding their favorite DVDs (in the style of the series that Criterion hosts with celebrities). Fans lined up for hours before the activation opened to get a brief visit inside the closet; the pop-up proved to be so popular that Criterion stopped allowing people to enter the queue some fours before opening, according to Tribeza. Not bad for a debut at SXSW.