Deep in the mountainous Mexico desert, 45 miles from Oaxaca City, you’ll find El Silencio’s distillery and boutique hotel. The mysterious and mystical mezcal brand recently hosted a fully immersive, multisensory experience on their property to celebrate the grand opening. The unique launch event featured an array of interesting experiences across the vast, 16-acre desert property.

This experiential event was certainly one of a kind – encouraging attendees to step out of their comfort zone and into the elusive world of El Silencio. Elements of rituals, ancestral traditions, mythology, and theatrics permeated the experience – which went from dusk till dawn.

El Silencio’s event strategy centered around a “choose your own adventure” model to help tell the brand’s story without giving attendees clear direction. Instead, various immersive elements lured people in to experience at their own pace. Different touchpoints engaged the senses – including stunning visual and performance arts, authentic Oaxacan cuisine, and mezcal cocktails.

“The relationships that we built with anyone who came to this event, I’m sure, will be everlasting,” said Chet Lang, Director of Events at El Silencio. “There’s depth to this. It was great to be able to show it off in a tangible form. It was like, ‘I’m here. I’m living inside El Silencio.’ It was really special. And we’re as much a marketing company as we are a mezcal brand so with everything we do, we always aim to create experiences that go far beyond simply enjoying our products. We want people to become part of this story and we’re eager to share it with others.”

Food played an especially important role in the experience. An interactive culinary experience took place at one, long, communal table and told the story of how mezcal is made.

Music was another key experiential factor. On top of the speakers sat bottles of El Silencio mezcal to push the idea of infusing the brand’s sound. El Silencio demonstrated their alignment with the music industry, featuring multiple stages of music and various performers across the property.

LED visual arts illuminated the desert, from projection mapping to high-tech, light-up spheres showing different paths to new experiences. The tech-garden featured fiber and glass spheres.

Six immersive and theatrical rooms projected mysterious vibes with the help of various characters – including musicians, a shamanic healer, a playwright, and more. Outside, fire spinners, illusionists, magicians, and other performers helped demonstrate the brand’s uniqueness.

What can we learn from this experiential launch?

  • Shine a light on what makes your brand authentic.
  • Don’t shy away from the “weird.”
  • Use physical space to your advantage and give attendees plenty of room to explore.
  • Live performances can help tell a brand story in a unique way.
  • Engage all the senses. Food and drink, visual arts, and music helped the brand story come to life.
  • Do it big. This all-night desert experience was a huge undertaking that ultimately portrayed the “El Silencio vibe” perfectly. A less ambitious launch event could never compare to this level of immersion and brand storytelling.