Smithsonian Channel Bug Bites

Smithsonian Channel’s new “Bug Bites” web series aimed to change that by exploring the worldwide art of cooking and consuming insects. It was our task to create some buzz (pun intended) around the new show! The experience was designed to make attendees feel comfortable with the idea of eating insects. To get them started we developed a “Gateway Bugs” station which introduced attendees to insect-eating with small pastry appetizers made using cricket flour. The second station within our progressive experience was the “Blind Bugs” stop. Guests threw a blindfold on and were challenged to decipher a mealworm-based marinara sauce versus a traditional marinara. The “Bug Roulette” station let guests spin a wheel to select one of four unique dishes based on what they landed on – cricket chips, black ants and shrimp, grasshopper guacamole, and silkworm pupae brownies. The final bug tasting experience was a live demo of tarantula frying which tested attendees’ bravery as they engaged in tasting the creepiest critter of the night. For those not willing to have their entire meal be bug-based, we also served a curated menu of bug-free offerings…which were clearly labeled “non-bug”. For those that needed to let their guard down before testing the tarantula, we also had an open bar with bug-free cocktail options. Gallery-style walls of facts from the show were featured around the venue and served as both educational spaces and photo ops, while paying homage to the Smithsonian museums.