Rather excitingly, it’s almost the end of dry January. Unbelievably, it hasn’t decided to finish early this year (we’re thinking about complaining to the powers that be!). However, it has got us thinking about some of the amazing events and stunts we did with drinks brands last year and how the alcohol and beverages industries are beginning to make a splash in the world of experiential marketing.
When you think about it, it’s a match made in heaven… the perfect combination. It gives consumers the ability to immerse themselves not only in the flavours and aromas of the drink but also the backstory of the brand as many brewers and distillers have rich historical roots burying deep down into the past.
For those of you asking, “what is experiential marketing?”, you are welcome to visit our blog post, explaining every detail. You can do so by clicking on the very question you asked. If you’re in a rush, here’s a crash course on experiential marketing:
Experiential marketing, essentially, does exactly what it says on the tin. You are striving to provide an experience for consumers, to engage and interact with, in order to promote your brand, product(s), service(s) and/or campaign. The coolest thing about it is that the experience can be almost anything, which allows for plenty of variation and innovation in these activations, across the board!
Check out some of the coolest, most unique drinks-related pop-ups and PR stunts of 2019 and keep your eyes peeled for a load more this year.
Campari’s ‘Meet the Masters’
The Campari Group is an umbrella brand, governing a number of the industries finest drink labels. They wanted to make history by bringing together 4 of their master blenders, under the same roof, for the first time in history!
Joy Spence of Appleton Rum, Patrick Raguenaud of Grand Marnier, Eddie Russell of Wild Turkey and Dennis Malcolm of Glen Grant all gathered at 10-11 Carlton House Terrace in London to each lead a unique and exquisite tasting session in which each room was extravagantly designed to embody the brand each master represents their respective brand. Not just visually though, the sounds and smells were taken into account to make each room a distinctive, fully immersive experience of each individual blend.
For full details of Campari’s ‘Meet the Masters’ event, read our case study here.
Hendricks’ Gin Portals
Hendricks Gin produced a few peculiar little pop-up ‘Gin Portals’ in London last year – from phone boxes to laundrette shop fronts and cash ATMs, the ‘portals’ were creatively designed and aesthetically crafted.
These unsuspecting portals were doorways to gin-finite dimensions … (*tumbleweed*) … anyway, the internals were lavishly decorated with a floral/sci-fi fusion complete with mirrored walls and hanging flower displays. Those curious enough to step inside were greeted with a sample of Hendrick’s Gin as a reward.
Corona’s Summer Solstice Beach Clean
Every year we experience summer solstice – the longest day of the year – on a select day in June. To celebrate, Corona asked us to throw a plastic-free beach party down on Brighton seafront for the public and media to come down and enjoy.
The focus was on sustainability and ensuring that everyone was aware about the pressing issues of ocean pollution. The amount of plastic being found in our oceans is already a serious cause for concern and, sadly, the numbers are only increasing. Corona and Parley have partnered to campaign against plastic pollution and make a change.
At the beach party, there was an initial sweep of the surrounding Brighton shoreline with attendees picking up litter and awards given out for ‘fullest bag’, ‘most peculiar find’ etc. There were also environmentalists who came down to give talks on the imminent danger of plastic pollution and little changes we can all make to help improve our ecosystem.
Find out more about this event on our case studies page.
Captain Morgan’s Lost Lagoon
Captain Morgan’s ‘Lost Lagoon’ pop-up was one of our favourites of the year. A secret, underground, ticketed tiki adventure story – inspired by the Captain himself.
Guests had to navigate themselves through the world’s largest indoor lagoon, by boat, to a series of ‘islands’ whilst completing challenges to find Captain Morgan’s hidden bounty! The end result was an island rum party with a neo-tiki theme for the guests to enjoy the Captain Morgan’s rum that they’d worked so hard for.
The creative thinking that went into not only the design and aesthetic of this pop-up, but also the detail of the storyline and challenges really stood out to us. Paired with the logistics of creating an underground, indoor lagoon complete with islands … it certainly gets the Sketch seal of approval!
If you’re looking to get experiential with your next campaign, contact us using this form. Alternatively, you can call us in the office on 01273 749000 or send us an email to [email protected] and we’d be more than happy to help!
