LOWER EAST SIDE— FX turned a Lower East Side music venue into a New York bodega over the weekend, giving fans of the television show Adults free pizza, themed drinks, music and a closer look at the world of the comedy ahead of its second-season premiere.
The event transformed Arlene's Grocery into the show's Munchie Mart, a bodega-inspired pop-up designed to bring the series to life on Aug. 22-23. More than 500 people attended the activation.
The event featured complimentary Prince St. Pizza slices, a bodega-themed speakeasy serving nonalcoholic drinks, music, interactive displays and Adults giveaways.
For FX, the activation served two purposes: reward existing fans and introduce the series to people who have not yet watched it.
Sara Mald, FX's vice president of integrated promotions, said the network chose Arlene's Grocery because of its New York identity and its connection to younger audiences.
"How can we make it as robust as possible, but also serve as many fans who loved the show?" Mald said.
New York City has become a testing ground for the entertainment industry's growing use of real-world experiences to promote shows.
HBO Max once spread 20 branded installations across Manhattan for an "On Location" experience, while more recent campaigns have included a recreation of the "Hot Fellas" bakery from "And Just Like That…" in the East Village and a two-story "Stranger Things" house in a Times Square theater.
With nearly 300,000 people passing through Times Square on an average day, the City offers entertainment marketers something difficult to replicate elsewhere: a huge audience already moving through the streets where their shows are set.
Tiana, an attendee at the Munchie Mart, sat on a couch recreated from the set of Adults while eating her free Prince St. Pizza slice.
She said the experience convinced her to start watching the series.
For others, the answer depends on how familiar they already were with the show.
"For me, it's more like if I'm a fan of the show already, I'm going to the pop-up events, you know?" Noel Alvarado, 25 of Manhattan, said.
Dominick Rizzi, 29 of Brooklyn, was more skeptical that promotional events influence his viewing habits.
"But I'm also not the prime demographic," Rizzi said.
As a host of the film and television podcast "Movie Nerd Reviews," he regularly follows new releases and entertainment news.
"I'm the exception because I find out about these shows months in advance before the general public even knows about them," he said.
Research suggests there may be a payoff to making fans part of the experience.
A 2025 study of more than 2,000 U.S. consumers found that interactive and immersive brand experiences produced 2.2 times higher brand recall than passive displays.
For FX, that interaction is part of the strategy.
Mald said the network wants fans to feel as though they can step inside the show.
"When you have an experience where you can touch and feel and be a part, feel like you can experience the show, you're so much more inclined to tune in and watch it," Mald said.
FX and production agency IHEARTCOMIX designed the space around details from the series, including references to both seasons.
Mald said the marketing team works with the showrunners and reads scripts before episodes air, allowing it to incorporate details fans may recognize.
"We've got our Canadian flag for [Paul]," Mald said, pointing to a reference to Paul Baker, one of the show's five main characters.
The team used the venue's compact footprint to build out displays in its available corners and spaces while keeping the activation accessible to a large crowd.
Months of strategy, design and fabrication preceded the several-day installation, according to Mald.
The new eight-episode season follows Samir, Billie, Paul, Issa and Anton as they continue navigating relationships, work, family and friendship while living together in New York.
"It's incredibly funny," Mald said of the upcoming season. "I think a lot of relatable moments as well."
Mald, who has worked at FX for 15 years, said the network is already planning future activations for upcoming series, including "American Horror Story" and the second season of "Alien: Earth."
Season two of Adults premieres Thursday at 9 p.m. on FXX and Hulu.
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