The Summer Matsuri — Celebrating Daikoku NYC’s Anniversary with Heat, Ice & Culture
Summary
To celebrate Daikoku NYC’s anniversary, I created The Summer Matsuri — a multi-sensory, analog-meets-digital activation rooted in Japanese street festival energy and New York car culture. The event was teased via a telephone hotline, announced only through cryptic social media clues, and came to life in a multi-level Queens parking garage filled with automotive displays, Japanese shaved ice, and community vibes.
The Challenge
How do you host a high-impact anniversary event without turning it into a commercialized car meet or oversaturated social event?
The goal was to:
Build intrigue without oversharing
Reward cultural literacy and community awareness
Blend Japanese matsuri tradition with Daikoku NYC’s urban car identity
Activate real-world space through unconventional planning and storytelling
My Role
Designed the concept and rollout strategy
Created and launched the telephone hotline system with a custom-recorded voice message revealing the event location and details
Led outreach via a limited social media drop, driving users to call the hotline
Coordinated event logistics: multi-level garage access, car staging, power, vendor placement
Brought in a Japanese shaved ice vendor to reflect festival roots
Process Overview
1. Hybrid Rollout Strategy
Acquired a telephone line and wrote/recorded the event message
Released only a flyer + number on Instagram: no time, no place, no direct callout
Created mystique and curiosity that organically spread through the community
2. Garage Activation
Chose a multi-story garage in Queens for its brutalist aesthetic and levels
Curated car lineup per floor — from street builds to show-quality imports
Coordinated lighting, entry/exit, and foot traffic flow
3. Experience Design
Shaved ice stand set up in the center of the garage
Music setup with ambient transitions between levels
Designed signage and visual assets that combined traditional matsuri cues with NYC grit
Impact
Drove 200+ attendees through analog-based event discovery
Created a uniquely immersive car meet that felt like a cultural celebration, not a flex
Strengthened Daikoku NYC’s position as both a brand and movement
Generated high engagement across IG and Threads without paid promotion
Sparked interest in more analog/digital hybrid events — blending physical city space with ephemeral discovery mechanics
Reflection
We wanted the Summer Matsuri to feel earned — not just attended. The hotline, the mystery, the shaved ice, and the layers of car culture and tradition created a city night that felt timeless, local, and bigger than just a meet.