At the U.S. Open's Fan Week, brands compete for attention through experiential activations rather than traditional advertising. Moët offers champagne in collectible gold goblets, Wilson showcases a mini Roger Federer Hall of Fame, and Dove and La Roche-Posay provide antiperspirant and sunscreen samples. Joe Perello, CEO of Props and former CMO of New York City, notes that successful brands "behave less like advertisers and more like participants," offering utility and experience as the new "share of voice."

JPMorgan Chase has provided mobile charging stations for a decade, which Kate Schoff, head of sports and entertainment marketing, calls a "simple but meaningful way we can make the day more enjoyable." Perello also highlights Dove's cooling stations and product touch-ups as smart experiential marketing that demonstrates the product proposition.

Meanwhile, Good Good Golf faced controversy after a Callaway-partnered video parodying the horror film "Obsession" showed co-founder Garrett Clark shoving a female creator. The clip sparked allegations of promoting violence against women. Both Good Good and Callaway removed the video and apologized, but Callaway ended its yearslong partnership and the PGA Tour confirmed Good Good would "step away as a sponsor." CEO Matt Kendrick called it a "failure within our marketing team" and acknowledged the need for different protocols as creator content scales.