SDCC ’25: A tale of three activations

By Avery and Ollie Kaplan

Located in the areas surrounding the San Diego Convention Center, “activations” (or pop-up promotional events) have become a staple of San Diego Comic-Con. While the convention center floor only has so much space, even for the largest booths, marketing budgets can really run wild in the Gaslamp Quarter, Petco Park, and beyond. And since they’re located outside the boundaries of the con itself, even those without badges can enjoy them.

Three of the activations The Beat visited this year were Paramount+’s The Lodge, the Twisted Metal Bumper Battle and the Thunderbolts* Treatz Truck. Here’s what we thought of the trio of promotional experiences.

Paramount+’s The Lodge

Photo credit: Ollie Kaplan.

First up was a visit to Paramount+’s The Lodge. This returning activation is tweaked each year to spotlight the properties the streamer is most interesting in promoting that year. For these two Trekkies, the Star Trek element is naturally where we headed first. This year, that included a segment that featured Star Trek: Starfleet Academy. We were handed our Starfleet Academy burlap bags upon arrival. After stepping through an area decorated to look like a deactivated holodeck turning on, we visited a bar where we were served a mocktail: an Orion Hurricane. This was an interesting flavor.

Photo credit: Ollie Kaplan.

The next portion was designed to look like the retro bridge from the upcoming Star Trek: Strange New Worlds episode “A Space Adventure Hour.” Visitors are invited to pose on the bridge, which included a captain’s chair with a cupholder and a bunch of pullable levers. The attendant snapped a picture and invited us to input our number to receive the picture by phone. But whether due to user error or another reason, we sadly never recieved our pic. For more on the release dates of upcoming Franchise shows and seasons, check out our coverage of the Star Trek Universe Hall H Panel at SDCC ’25.

Photo credit: Ollie Kaplan.

The other segment of The Lodge we visited was the one promoting Dexter: Resurrection. This was a hallway with reproductions of infamous serial killers’ paraphernalia on display. An employee shared facts about the real-world killers who inspired the exhibits. It was an interesting and disturbing approach.

Photo credit: Ollie Kaplan.

On top of these individual promotions, The Lodge also offered each attendee a pair of drink coupons. We sampled the margarita, which was reasonably tasty and offered a choice of salt, Tajin or a combination thereof on the rim. And they also regularly brought out platters of sliders, with both fried chicken and beef patty options. We later learned that we missed some impressive freebies, but we had a good time anyway.

Twisted Metal Bumper Battle

Photo credit: Ollie Kaplan.

A few blocks away was the Twisted Metal Bumper Battle activation. Located in a fenced-in outdoor area, the activation had a very “street fair” vibe. Upon entry, the first thing you’d be likely to notice is the half-dozen cars on display from the series. These included a photo opportunity with Sweet Tooth, the franchise’s iconic ice cream truck.

Photo credit: Ollie Kaplan.

And the centerpiece of the activation was the bumper cars. These were a standard bumper car setup, but with the cars decorated to match vehicles from the show. This was presided over by “Calypso,” who cheerfully jeered players who were engaging in insufficient bumping of their fellow drivers. Perhaps we had a particularly good crop of drivers, because the duration of our “derby” was filled with laughter and was a nostalgic good time.

Photo credit: Avery Kaplan.

Rounding out the activation was an area for karaoke and a photo op. The photo op featured a fan that blew air behind the subjects and a backdrop depicting an explosion. We jumped timed to a countdown, and the resulting picture made it look like we were being blown towards the camera. These pictures could be texted or airdropped, and we immediately received our and then forced our absent family members to admire it.

While we didn’t get any freebies or food from this activation. But it was nevertheless a memorable and enjoyable experience. Meanwhile, Twisted Metal Season 2 debuts on Peacock on July 31.

Thunderbolts* Treatz Truck

Throughout the weekend, the Thunderbolts* Treatz Truck was located on the MLK walkway behind the Omni Hotel, beside the San Diego Trolley tracks. The truck featured a wrap promoting the movie’s digital and home video release.

Photo credit: Ollie Kaplan.

At the front of the event was a photo opportunity that invited visitors to step inside the Wheaties-style Box from the movie, which played a big role in the flick’s marketing. Instead of shooting the picture with an on-site camera, you simply handed your cell phone to the attendant to snap the pic for you. It was simple, but effective.

Next visitors proceed to the truck itself, where you had a choice of one of five soft serve ice cream cups themed after the characters from the team. We selected Ghost’s Vanishing Vanilla (vanilla soft serve with coconut flakes and whipped cream) and Black Widow’s Killer Charm Sundae (vanilla soft serve with mango boba topping). They came in plain cups with a Thunderbolts* logo sticker on them. 

Photo Credit: Avery Kaplan.

The Thunderbolts* Treatz Truck may have been the most simple of the activations we visited, but it was nevertheless worth stopping by. The soft serve was tasty, especially in the late afternoon heat; honestly, we could have gone for seconds, doubly so since all five flavors sounded so appealing. Thunderbolts* is currently available digitally, and is arriving on home video formats on July 29.

San Diego Comic-Con 2025 Activations

This trio of experiences were just a small selection of the activations available to visitors around the convention center. If you had the chance to attend any of them, which ones were your favorite? Be sure and let us know in the comment section or over on social media.

Keep up with all of The Beat’s Star Trek coverage here.

Stay tuned to The Beat for more coverage from SDCC ’25.

Cover image credit: Avery Kaplan.