From frosted tips to timeless hits— we turned back time and lit up New York City for one night only.
Instacart wanted to close their summer brand campaign with a bang, tapping into nostalgia to take audiences back to 1999. We delivered a fully immersive concert experience, bridging generations in the heart of New York City and deepening Instacart’s relationship with millennial consumers.
Through a hazy, neon-lit tunnel, guests were transported back to 1999, where the vibes were retro, the beats were alive, and the snacks and drinks were pure throwback magic. From munchies inspired by the decade’s cult-favourite brands to epic moments fueled by Slice Healthy Soda, Venmo, and Frosted Flakes, this was part house party, part time machine.
The event turnaround? Just 60 days.
The hype was real. The first fan lined up at 10 a.m., and by the time doors opened eight hours later, more than 1,300 guests had wrapped the block. Influencers were live-streaming their queue experience, while custom posters were torn off the walls as souvenirs before the final song.
Guests could:
—Rock out to a full live set from Third Eye Blind
—Taste the 90’s with a throwback Snack Shack with Capri Sun, Lunchables, Ring Pops, and more.
—Make their own music video at the Slice Healthy Soda Lounge – complete with retro CDs, posters, and a fisheye video booth
—Get frosted at the Frosted Tips Station, styled by the pros and powered by Frosted Flakes
—Shop retro threads at the Mr. Throwback NYC pop-up, presented by Venmo.
And so much more.
Impact
At their first-ever consumer activation, we helped Instacart show up in an entirely new way and land firmly in the hearts and minds of millennials as a preferred grocery delivery service – all by serving up a taste of the ‘good old days.’
- 6,000 RSVPs
- 1,300+ attendees, far surpassing internal benchmarks
- 12,000 brand samples from event sponsors given to fans
- 30+ earned media placements, including Adweek, Marketing Dive, US Weekly, and Parade
“From start to finish, Cheerful Twentyfirst’s expertise, creativity, and impeccable execution were evident, and we couldn’t have asked for a better team to bring this vision to life.”
– Chase Kehoe, Head of B2B Events, Instacart
