Every Nickelodeon fan has dreamt of being covered in slime (including you, probably). This year, New York Comic Con (NYCC) attendees can make that dream a reality — well, virtually. The company’s NYCC Fun-ergy Factory booth is drenched in bright orange and neon green hues, allowing fans to feel like they stepped onto the set All That, Double Dare, or even the Kids’ Choice Awards. Attendees can take photos at a sewer-inspired backdrop, generate fun-ergy in different challenges, and more.
While Nickelodeon is leaning into classic titles like the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and SpongeBob SquarePants at NYCC, the team behind your favorite wacky shows and movies is dedicated to creating a welcoming space for fans of characters new and old. The Pop Insider stopped by Booth No. 1523 to find out how Nickelodeon crafts an environment for generations of viewers.
Between slime spills and friendly competitions with nostalgic neighbors, we spoke with Vincent Aricco, senior vice president and executive creative director at Nickelodeon, to learn more about the NYCC interactive experiences and discover what the future will bring for Nickelodeon fans of all ages.
The Pop Insider
How do you decide which brands to showcase when creating a fan event or activation, such as the NYCC booth?
Vincent Aricco
At this point, Nickelodeon is such a huge brand that it spans demographics … it’s not just for kids, but it’s for kids at heart. And so we want to make sure that we bring characters and IP to audiences in real life that everybody can enjoy and that families can enjoy together. So Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles definitely crosses generations. And, of course, the man himself, SpongeBob. So, we love to do that where we can bring audiences of all ages, something that they’ll all enjoy.
We’re wrapping up Day 2 coverage with a roundup of all the must-do activations at this year’s con! Some of our favorite activations include: -Nickelodeon: Step into the slime factory and take an iconic green slime photo at this highly interactive booth. -Walmart: Emgage in a DnD style dice game and learn more about the world of Walmart collectibles. -Paramount+: Master the four elements with interactive photo ops. -Marvel: Weave through the world of upcoming Marvel series and films through interactive photo experiences. -Lionsgate: A walk through attraction that gives attendees insight about the upcoming Sunrise of the Reaping film. Follow for more! #nycc#comiccon#activations
Fans can compete against other attendees to generate fun-ergy. | Source: The Pop Insider
PI
What factors were considered when creating the booth and the numerous interactive experiences?
VA
One of the main ideas behind [the booth] is that we want people to feel immersed in the Nickelodeon experience. It’s not just about one IP this year, it’s about different IPs wrapped in the brand of Nickelodeon. We wanted to provide something for people to get [their] hands on, and, of course, slime is at the center of it. We want to have great representation of characters that everybody knows … we want you to feel like you’re stepping into the world of Nickelodeon. And, of course, we want to make a little game that people can play. So we have these hands-on activations where you can activate these pumps, essentially, and the pumps trigger slime to flow. And then when the slime is flowing, it triggers a great video on our wall. So, it’s all meant to really just give back to the fans and [have the] fans be like, ‘Oh my God, I stepped into Nickelodeon and I got to play and have a good time.’
PI
What’s the best way for fans to embed themselves into the Nickelodeon culture if they’re not able to be at NYCC this weekend?
VA
First and foremost, social media is always on, right, and we want to be there for the fans all day, every day. That is the touch point that we really try to provide surprise and delight for fans and be a part of what’s going on … we love that we came from a cable network, now we’re on streaming platforms, we have robust social media across all the big ones, Instagram, TikTok, you name it. And then our YouTube is robust. And so I love that there are many touch points for people to interact at any point on any platform they can find.
PI
How do you make sure you’re truly catering to that cross-generational fandom and giving the right attention to what people really love to see?
VA
At the heart of what Nickelodeon does is that we want to bring joy to people’s lives. And so we’re always focusing on being optimistic, being a place for kids to really just express themselves, but also kids at heart. And so if we always lead with joy, we always lead with humor, we always lead with optimism, we feel like we can affect people in the most positive way all the time. And so those are core things we focus on.
What else can fans expect from Nickelodeon in the next few months?
VA
So we’ve got a Plankton [from SpongeBob SquarePants] Christmas special coming up. So you’ll be seeing great marketing for that very soon. I think that’s going to just be so wonderful, it really fits the season. It’s a really funny story about who’s on the naughty list and who’s not …Â it’s going to be awesome. It looks really good.
PI
Fans like to engage with their favorite shows or characters through merchandise. There are so many Nickelodeon-branded products, but is there something that you specifically would love to see come to light soon?
VA
What would be cool to me personally, not giving any advice to our consumer products … I would love to see maybe a really special collectible of Bikini Bottom, and in an amazing way that you could set up as a beautiful display. It’s not just one thing, but the whole of Bikini Bottom, would probably be something I’d love to see.
Is there a direction that Nickelodeon is going to focus on as we move into the next year, whether that be live experiences, products, or extending licensing partnerships?
VA
Nickelodeon’s got to keep reinventing itself, so to speak, and just to make sure that it’s always current. It’s always meeting kids where they’re at. And I think what’s most exciting about Nickelodeon is the way that it’s beyond just to think about as a cable network … we want to think about it as a lifestyle brand for kids and kids at heart.
It can be as premium as a mega blockbuster movie, or it can be, like we said, as fun and shooting from the hip as social media. And that goes beyond just sitting and watching a show. It really needs to be part of kids’ lives and culture.
PI
Is there anything you think the fans should know about Nickelodeon?
VA
If I could say something to the fans, it’s just like we’re nothing without you. And that’s really why we come [to NYCC], because we want to pop up something that’s accessible to everybody. It’s important that fans know that we’re aware of them. We love them, we want to, wherever possible, make ourselves accessible for people to come and see Nickelodeon, take a picture with Nickelodeon, like we’re doing here, give them a hands-on experience. So it’s really important that we want people to feel that from us.
Fans can get slimed, compete with others, and take part in special photo ops at No. 1523 until 5 p.m. EST on Sunday, Oct. 11. Visit nick.com to learn more about your favorite characters, shows, and specials!
About the author
Samantha Connell
Samantha is an Associate Editor for The Toy Book, The Pop Insider, and The Toy Insider. She loves to write, craft, and play with her adorable dog, Willow. She is a Ravenclaw, Star Wars fan (prequels included), and Clemson alumna. She also thinks that she is the favorite aunt.
