Event Marketing

Kess Entertainment

Overview

Kess Entertainment partnered with Barnes & Noble to launch Spy x Family: Mission for Peanuts with an in-store game demo event. It performed well enough to bring back for a second launch, Sonic Roll, at the same store. For both, I ideated the event concept, developed limited-edition themed drinks with the Kess and Barnes & Noble marketing teams, and led all promotion from start to finish, including copywriting and event photography.

Professional work completed for Kess Entertainment. Spy x Family: Mission for Peanuts, Sonic Roll, and associated characters and media are property of their respective rights holders, and are referenced here for portfolio demonstration purposes only.

Client

Kess Entertainment, in partnership with Barnes & Noble

Timeline

Fall 2023 – Spring 2024

Scope

Event Concept & Ideation
Retail Partner Coordination
Experiential Marketing
Social & Digital Promotion
Copywriting
Photography

The Concept

To promote Spy x Family: Mission for Peanuts, we partnered with the local Barnes & Noble location with the highest manga sales to throw a game launch event, giving fans a hands‑on way to learn the game and meet the people behind it.

Meet the game designers
Earn freebies in exchange for social follows
Participate in an exclusive giveaway
Try a limited-edition themed drink, created with the Barnes & Noble café team, at the store's café

The Marketing

I led every part of the promotional push, from concept to execution, pairing in-store touchpoints with a coordinated social and digital campaign.

In-store bookmarks, given to manga customers
Themed Spy x Family: Mission for Peanuts game & manga display with paper flyers
Standee and Anya cutout to draw attention to a published event poster
Social media campaign across owned channels and with influencers
Emails to the newsletter audience
Digital ad to promote the event locally

Spy x Family: Mission for Peanuts themed drink from the Barnes & Noble café

The themed drink displayed outside the Barnes & Noble Burbank store

Event flyer for the Spy x Family: Mission for Peanuts Barnes & Noble event

Promotional materials for the event.

The Results

Mission success. The event was so well received that attendees asked for it to come to other locations – and many walked away newly interested in Kess Entertainment as a company.

Requests to bring the event to additional Barnes & Noble locations
Growing interest in future demo events for other properties, like Sonic and One Piece
New attendee interest in Kess Entertainment as a company

Watch the recap

Momentum Across the Campaign

The Burbank event was one piece of a broader Spy x Family: Mission for Peanuts launch push. Campaign-wide, that momentum showed up at retail too.

Close-up of Spy x Family: Mission for Peanuts gameplay in progress

55+

Estimated attendees at the Barnes & Noble Burbank event.

Spy x Family: Mission for Peanuts retail results imagery

~90%

Of a store's on-hand inventory (>30 units) sold in one day during the promotional event.

Attendees playing Spy x Family: Mission for Peanuts at the demo table, with an Anya cosplayer looking on

~10%

Of on-hand inventory sells per week in brick-and-mortar stores.

Round Two: Sonic Roll

Spy x Family: Mission for Peanuts's success led to demand for a second event at the same Burbank Barnes & Noble – this time for the tabletop launch of Sonic Roll. We ran the same playbook, but leaned even further into exclusivity and FOMO with two once‑in‑a‑lifetime signed giveaway items.

Meet the game designers
Learn about the Sonic Roll tabletop game
Enter a giveaway to win a print signed by 15‑year Sonic comic artist Tracy Yardley, plus a Sonic playmat
Enjoy special treats at the café

Event flyer for the Sonic Roll Barnes & Noble event, April 13, 12PM to 4PM

Print signed by Sonic comic artist Tracy Yardley, held up at the event

Copy of Sonic Roll signed by Takashi Iizuka, head of Sonic Team at SEGA

The event flyer, and the exclusive giveaway: a print and game box signed by Tracy Yardley, and a copy of Sonic Roll signed by Takashi Iizuka, head of Sonic Team at SEGA.

The Blue Blur, a limited-edition Sonic-inspired drink

The Master Plan, a limited-edition Dr. Eggman-inspired drink

Both limited-edition Sonic Roll drinks together

The Blue Blur and The Master Plan, created exclusively for the event. I took and edited these photos to use for promotion.

The Response

From the Community

We were overwhelmed by the positive response – having to open a waitlist for Sonic Roll players and almost selling out of inventory a second time, despite ordering higher quantities.

A slideshow of images from the event.

Attendee Instagram story reposting the Sonic Roll event

A few of attendees' Instagram stories we were tagged in.

About

Hi, I'm Faina.

My analytical left brain loves the foundation of data in a spreadsheet. My delusional right brain wants to throw a grand masquerade ball with wax sealed invitations delivered via carrier pigeon. They battle it out and settle on a plan that can feasibly come together, but delivers that extra sparkle.

Spending over 7 years in marketing has led me master the somewhat chaotic tango between my right and left brain, and my relentless drive for that something more means I don't stop at industry standard.

At heart, I'm an excitable artsy kid who makes spreadsheets for everything, dreams big and loves learning. You'll find me in sunny SoCal, sipping one of three beverages at my desk with a cat on my lap. If you want to chat careers, life or exchange coffee shop recommendations, don't be shy. Say hello at fainadanielian@gmail.com.

Connect on LinkedIn