SXSW 2024: The Wasteland Shanty Town Of Filly At The ‘Fallout’ Activation
by Gary Catig
As previously reported, Prime Video would host an activation during South by Southwest (SXSW) featuring the upcoming series, Fallout. Recently, we had the opportunity to check out the experience.
Fallout is based on the role-playing video game franchise of the same name. It takes place in a world following an apocalyptic nuclear event. Due to the resulting radiation, many survivors settled in fallout bunkers known as Vaults. One Vault resident decides to leave the safety of her community and explore what else is out there.
The SXSW activation transported visitors to the shantytown of Filly. It was very interactive with actors playing residents. We met the mayor, and tried to play some shell game without getting our lunch money hustled.
There was a local watering hole that supplied drinks such as beer, artisanal water, and Nuka Victory cola. If you wanted to grab a snack, they handed out cupcakes and gave out ass (beef) jerky.
The currency of choice in Filly is the bottle cap. You could earn some playing games such as target practice and lassoing an animal head. If you were really attentive, you could even ask the residents for additional bottle caps or barter with them for other items. There was also an accompanying app for the experience that sent you on a scavenger hunt to find special items littered throughout. At the end, you could exchange your bottle caps and the points you earned from the scavenger hunt for entries into a Fallout sweepstakes. It was a little disappointing because at last year’s Prime Video activation, you could cash out your currency for real items.
That knit pick aside, it was a fun experience that was highly detailed and housed many of Easter eggs. Add in the interactions with the actors, it really helped bring you to another world.
