SoBe Lizard Lounge

SoBe has taken over Brush Square Park with their open-air Lizard Lounge. It has a good-times vibe with plenty of sun-dappled spots to hang out between panels. The bar serves “reskinned SoBe Elixirs and Teas” while a wall of LCDs invite festival attendees to “virtually reskin yourself, then fool your friends.” Here’s how it works: You step up to a Mac, take a self portrait, choose a virtual tattoo from their library, then drag and drop it just about anywhere. Voila–you now have a tattoo on your face, neck, arm or wherever else you chose to place it. From there, you Twitpic the photo or upload it to your social profile to share with friends, followers and fans.

Not until walking away did we find out that all of their SoBe products were “reskinned,” a.k.a. “repackaged.” Had they made this clear from the outset, the entire concept would have clicked and been more engaging. The bartenders could have talked about the new packaging or signage could have brought home the idea. The virtual tattoo exercise was fun and the drinks were crisp and cold, but all in all, SoBe missed an opportunity.