IHC created and produced the first ever immersive horror high school keg party to celebrate the release of MA starring Octavia Spencer
To promote Blumhouse’s latest release, MA, starring Octavia Spencer, Universal Studios enlisted IHEARTCOMIX to recreate Ma’s House for a week-long schedule of activities including the press junket, influencer meet and greet, house party, immersive horror experience and a hub for promotional content capture.
Ideation & Planning
IHC worked closely with Universal to conceive the best way to bring MA’s house to life. We spent weeks scouting venues, researching immersive theater companies and outlining the production details necessary to ensure this event was done in a way that flowed seamlessly between needs. Once the concept was locked, IHC quickly began transforming the famed Los Angeles Beckett Mansion into Ma’s. We crafted custom floor plans and unique set dressings all feeding into the multi-use purpose of the venue.
Press Junket
Three rooms were transformed inside the Beckett Mansion to serve as hero spaces for the press junket. Our work included conceptualizing and fully redecorating each of the rooms to match the set from MA. Over the course of the junket IHC was available to help with any issues or last minute production questions.
#PARTYWITHMA Influencer House Party
We threw an epic party that transported attendees to the high school ragers of Ma’s basement, creating a memorable night fueled by nostalgia (and Jello shots). Decked out with string lights, kegs, beer pong tables, DJs, photo opps, and a food truck serving Pizza Bites, a nod to the film.The night kicked off with a meet and greet with Academy Award winner, Octavia Spencer for select influencers.
With a cast of 25 actors, guests could never be too sure if they were talking to a fellow party-goer or someone in character. Our troupe included high school jocks, a goth girl, a nerd, party girls, a stoner, a cop, a concerned mom and more all dedicated to creating a fun atmosphere. These characters started games of spin the bottle, flip cup, suck and blow and they were always down to shotgun a beer.
Horror Experience
Serving as the centerpiece of the evening was a horror experience, spanning 13 rooms across three floors. The experience was tied directly into MA, incorporating elements from the movie throughout.
The horror theater was fully immersive from start to finish. As guests wandered through the party, they heard stories from the party actors that things were off at Ma’s house and people had gone missing…
One of the actors, playing the role of a high school student, would approach guests and invite them to come help her look for her friend Rachel’s “secret stash.” Guests were invited in groups of 4-6 people to explore Ma’s basement which subsequently led them upstairs to discover things were definitely not as they seemed. Lasting about 10 minutes, guests were chased down the second floor stairs back into the main party.
View the full horror experience here
Impact
The activation was met with rave reviews from attendees. Throughout the course of the night, 450+ guests attended the Horror House Party and nearly 100 influencer-level attendees posted during the event. We received 88+ IG Story posts, 20+ in-feed posts with an overall reach of 30.4 MILLION+
The activation received press coverage from Haunting, Horror Buzz and No Proscenium. Haunting lauded the event as “a marketing activation done not only right, but done memorably and ambitiously. It provides the type of lasting impression that will keep guests talking, posting pictures, and reliving the festivities, friendships, and frights for months to come.”
On the final day, All Def Digital took over Ma’s house to film promotional content, including the immersive horror experience from their perspectives.
IHC created and produced the first ever immersive horror high school keg party to celebrate the release of MA starring Octavia Spencer
To promote Blumhouse’s latest release, MA, starring Octavia Spencer, Universal Studios enlisted IHEARTCOMIX to recreate Ma’s House for a week-long schedule of activities including the press junket, influencer meet and greet, house party, immersive horror experience and a hub for promotional content capture.
Ideation & Planning
IHC worked closely with Universal to conceive the best way to bring MA’s house to life. We spent weeks scouting venues, researching immersive theater companies and outlining the production details necessary to ensure this event was done in a way that flowed seamlessly between needs. Once the concept was locked, IHC quickly began transforming the famed Los Angeles Beckett Mansion into Ma’s. We crafted custom floor plans and unique set dressings all feeding into the multi-use purpose of the venue.
Press Junket
Three rooms were transformed inside the Beckett Mansion to serve as hero spaces for the press junket. Our work included conceptualizing and fully redecorating each of the rooms to match the set from MA. Over the course of the junket IHC was available to help with any issues or last minute production questions.
#PARTYWITHMA Influencer House Party
We threw an epic party that transported attendees to the high school ragers of Ma’s basement, creating a memorable night fueled by nostalgia (and Jello shots). Decked out with string lights, kegs, beer pong tables, DJs, photo opps, and a food truck serving Pizza Bites, a nod to the film.The night kicked off with a meet and greet with Academy Award winner, Octavia Spencer for select influencers.
With a cast of 25 actors, guests could never be too sure if they were talking to a fellow party-goer or someone in character. Our troupe included high school jocks, a goth girl, a nerd, party girls, a stoner, a cop, a concerned mom and more all dedicated to creating a fun atmosphere. These characters started games of spin the bottle, flip cup, suck and blow and they were always down to shotgun a beer.
Horror Experience
Serving as the centerpiece of the evening was a horror experience, spanning 13 rooms across three floors. The experience was tied directly into MA, incorporating elements from the movie throughout.
The horror theater was fully immersive from start to finish. As guests wandered through the party, they heard stories from the party actors that things were off at Ma’s house and people had gone missing…
One of the actors, playing the role of a high school student, would approach guests and invite them to come help her look for her friend Rachel’s “secret stash.” Guests were invited in groups of 4-6 people to explore Ma’s basement which subsequently led them upstairs to discover things were definitely not as they seemed. Lasting about 10 minutes, guests were chased down the second floor stairs back into the main party.
View the full horror experience here
Impact
The activation was met with rave reviews from attendees. Throughout the course of the night, 450+ guests attended the Horror House Party and nearly 100 influencer-level attendees posted during the event. We received 88+ IG Story posts, 20+ in-feed posts with an overall reach of 30.4 MILLION+
The activation received press coverage from Haunting, Horror Buzz and No Proscenium. Haunting lauded the event as “a marketing activation done not only right, but done memorably and ambitiously. It provides the type of lasting impression that will keep guests talking, posting pictures, and reliving the festivities, friendships, and frights for months to come.”
On the final day, All Def Digital took over Ma’s house to film promotional content, including the immersive horror experience from their perspectives.
