In many ways, it was like an overly commercialized sports spectacle. The Doritos SXSW Kick-Off Classic. Or maybe we could call it the ChevySamsungNokia SXSW AT&T Fan Experience.

During SXSW it was impossible to walk through downtown Austin without being visually assaulted by logos, swag, pop-up events, lounges, street teams, fully-wrapped RV’s, party busses and plushy brand mascots. And it was all thanks to corporate marketing departments desperately fighting for attention from the 25,000 or so digital trendsetters brandishing their Interactive badges even in locations where they weren’t required as a condition for entry.