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Elvis is in the building.
The King of Rock ’n’ Roll, though not actually resurrected, may be on-site in spirit in a first-of-its-kind marketing stunt that will reimagine his beloved “jungle room” from Graceland in nightclubs in three U.S. cities.
The project, dubbed “Love Me (Bar) Tender,” will take place in two-night stints in October in New York, Chicago and Boston. It comes via a collaboration between Memphis Tourism and the stewards of the late artist’s charmingly garish mansion.
It’s thematically connected to previous promotions, while breaking new ground in its scale and scope and tapping into the ongoing experiential trend, according to Regena Bearden, Memphis Tourism’s chief marketing officer.
“Music is the primary travel motivator for Memphis, so we’ve taken the Memphis sound on the road across America and around the world” for past ad blitzes, Bearden told Adweek. “This is the first experiential pop-up where a well-known landmark has been recreated to drive awareness and engagement.”
‘Full takeovers’
The tourism group and the iconic destination are using “Love Me (Bar) Tender” to try to add 1 million visitors to the area, boosting the tally of 11 million total travelers in 2022, per the partners. (Graceland alone contributes about 500,000 visitors annually).
The marketers have regularly targeted residents in New York and Chicago, based on past visitor data. They layered on Boston for the jungle room stunt because they were “seeing an uptick in visitation and the launch of new air service on both Delta and American,” said Bearden, creating a new pipeline from the East Coast city.
Competing in the crowded travel space “requires a unique and innovative approach,” according to Jen Swearingen, senior director of marketing for Elvis Presley Enterprises Inc. and Graceland. “Bringing a bit of Graceland” to other cities is one way to stand out.
There are no renderings yet of the jungle room activations, but Bearden said they will be “full takeovers” of the selected locations, likely decked out in green shag carpeting from floor to ceiling, midcentury modern props, rock waterfalls and tiki accents. Some of the accessories and furniture will be sourced from Witco, a well-known vintage brand in the category.
