top of page

Lighting Techniques for Experiential Marketing

Updated: Mar 19



If you have an event or marketing campaign quickly approaching, you can experiment with lighting to capture your audience's attention. Think of your plans as a blank canvas and the lighting you choose as the paintbrush that makes your efforts stand out beautifully.


To find the experiential marketing lighting techniques that enhance your marketing plans, explore different types of event lighting with features that effortlessly highlight your brand.


Projection Mapping: The Basics

Projection mapping is a fascinating way to get your message out to the public using a unique art style that resonates with all types of audiences.


What Is Projection Mapping?


If your marketing strategy focuses on visual appeal, you can use projection mapping to spread your campaign across locations of your choosing. This experiential marketing lighting technique transforms your video or image into a projection that appears on a blank canvas. Typically, these canvases are a wall, room or 3D display that makes your marketing come to life. Several video projectors and computer programs render your marketing campaign to fit these locations appropriately so your audience can have a perfect view from all angles.


Experiential marketing that works excellent with projection mapping includes:

  • Panoramic photographs

  • Brand logos

  • High-definition videos

  • Photographic stills

  • Looped video clips

Why Is It Useful?


Projection mapping is one of the most unique types of event lighting marketing strategies because it allows your audience and potential consumers to feel immersed in your project. When images or videos surround them with messages, promises and artistic elements, they can become a part of the experience and remember your efforts for years.


The benefits of using projection mapping for your marketing include the following:

  • Creating an unforgettable experience for your audience

  • Creating customizable setups and appearance

  • Offering 3D capabilities

  • Appearing on virtually any surface

How Does the Process Work?


The projection mapping process is unique and exciting and takes time to set up perfectly. In five steps, you can enjoy an immersive view of your campaign. A team of designers will guide you through this process:

  1. Creating the media and choosing the surface for the video or image

  2. Putting your campaign through an interactive software program

  3. Mapping out the media selection to fit the location

  4. Determining the size of the project

  5. Testing the marketing campaign at the on-site location

Gobo Lighting: The Basics


Gobo lights are a simple way to get your message across with flair. Take to the sky with your marketing campaign with the help of these stylish lighting techniques.



What Are Gobo Lights?


Gobo is short for "go between optics." Your marketing media image gets projected through stenciled material, such as glass, metal or plastic. The final project is a bright, colorful projection of your campaign that goes on walls, exterior sidings or other flat surfaces for others to admire.


Why Are They Useful?


Gobo lights are simple yet effective! With gobo lighting, you can enjoy combining your media selection with other illuminated experiences for added flair. The lights are customizable so that you can choose the brightness, shadow effects and other appearance features. Gobo lights are great for a one-time event or long-term experience due to their simplicity and versatility.


How Does the Process Work?


When you work with Illuminating Design, we will help you create a media design you love. We can come up with ideas to make your experiential marketing tactic shine. Once the design is complete, we create and install your logo or image in your desired setting.


Uplighting: The Basics


Adding dimension to your experiential marketing project is a creative way to capture your audience's attention with style.


What Is Uplighting?


Uplighting involves using a spotlight with multiple bulbs in white, yellow or another color of the rainbow to match your intended brand elements during your marketing campaign. These lights sit at the base of furniture, walls, columns, curtains or other areas. When the light shines upward, they project a fanned illumination to highlight focal points in the room or outside an event. Many business owners use uplighting outside their buildings to make their logo and brand name stick out.


Why Is It Useful?


Sometimes, parts of your marketing campaign may not be as noticeable as intended. Logo, video and image placement is essential for successful customer retention. Uplighting helps your ideas literally light up the room and allows your target audience to enjoy admiring your marketing strategies by illuminating the many details in your chosen setting.


The lights are also customizable, meaning you can select the colors, brightness and size of the uplighting to fit the atmosphere. Setting the mood for your guests is easier with these factors in mind.


How Does the Process Work?


Every successful marketing campaign starts with a brainstorming session. You pick the location, and we'll meet you there to discuss the layout you have in mind and how uplighting can make the space shine. After figuring out the perfect setup, we begin working on the design process while keeping you updated throughout this vital step. The final touch is installing uplighting before the event and taking it down after your successful campaign.


Bistro Lighting: The Basics


Bistro lighting is a modern setup that creates a timeless elegance to any marketing event you plan.


What Is Bistro Lighting?


Bistro lights are strings with hanging bulbs that can stretch across outdoor venues to illuminate the setting. You may recognize this experiential marketing lighting technique as patio lights, which you can typically find in outdoor restaurants, wedding receptions and backyards.


The strings can hold multiple bulbs at a time, which usually come in a bright white. However, you can choose numerous color options to fit your marketing campaign.


Why Is It Useful?


Bistro lighting provides a trendy, minimalist and cozy ambiance with a simple setup. If you have long-term plans for your marketing campaign, you can install bistro lights permanently or as long as you desire. These lights work great outdoors, with several options for ambiance.


How Does the Process Work?


Bistro lighting is flexible and versatile, meaning it can work in almost any setting you have in mind. We can help you brainstorm concepts that will make your experiential marketing ideas come to life and highlight your brand elements using colors, string formations and the number of bulbs.


Once the design is complete, we can help set up the bistro lighting that you can use for as long as you desire for effective results.



Use Experiential Marketing Lighting With Illuminating Design


The best lighting techniques for your marketing project depend on the venue, ambiance and purpose you have in mind. Luckily, with 16 years of experience in the lighting and event industry, we can help turn your ideas into a beautiful reality! At Illuminating Design, we prioritize putting your marketing plans and needs first to create an effective lighting tactic that meets your preferences. Let us help you make your outdoor event shine!


With the holiday season quickly approaching, you can design a winter-themed lighting project that makes your brand stand out. We can also provide the services you need to light up the night so you can shine during these chilly months.


Contact us today to get started on your outdoor lighting plans.



bottom of page