UK supermarket Sainsbury’s has debuted their exciting new Christmas advertisement today, featuring Roald Dahl’s universally beloved character the BFG.

Set to premier on ITV1 at 8:15pm on Friday 1^st November during Coronation Street, the ad follows the 24-foot friendly giant as he embarks on a new adventure with Sainsbury’s employee Sophie. In a TV first, real-life Sainsbury’s colleague ‘Sophie’ embarks on a journey with the Big Friendly Giant (the BFG), showcasing the delicious flavours of Sainsbury’s festive Taste the Difference range.

The deal was negotiated and managed by Born Licensing, licensing agent for Roald Dahl Story Company. RDSC engaged Born Licensing to bring to life their global partnership and licensing strategy, facilitating ATL campaigns which truly harness the unique storytelling qualities of their IP in an authentic way.

Born Licensing, in collaboration with the Roald Dahl Story Company, worked with Sainsbury’s creative agency, NCA, to ensure this new iteration of the BFG came to life with authenticity. Fans of the beloved book will be delighted to see famous references from the story including snozzcumbers, Frobscottle, and dream jars feature in this magical Christmas campaign. 

The extensive partnership will see the BFG appear across TV, print, outdoor, social media, direct mail, and PR.

“Christmas is the most competitive period for British advertisers and licensing a generationally adored character like the BFG is a sure fire way to capture attention. This is a brilliant example of how powerful advertising can be when combining cherished IP with brilliant creative.”

David Born, Founder and CEO of Born Licensing

“At the Roald Dahl Story Company storytelling is at the heart of what we do and we’re always on the lookout for opportunities to bring our beloved characters and stories to life in new ways, through bespoke and authentic partnerships and marketing campaigns. The BFG is the perfect fit for Sainsbury’s in creating a big Christmas.

Alice O’Brien, Head of Global Commercial Partnerships at the Roald Dahl Story Company

The power of Roald Dahl’s unique stories and characters is evidenced in Sainsbury’s desire to collaborate on the biggest marketing moment of the year. The partnership provided the opportunity to tell their story in a new and innovative way, harnessing the nostalgic love that the BFG brings to generations of audiences.

NCA and Ogilvy were behind the Creative with Rogue Films producing the TVC. The longform” film with cutdowns was directed by award winning Director Sam Brown. Post-production and VFX were done by Electric Theatre Company.

“By collaborating with Sainsbury’s to bring Roald Dahl’s beloved BFG to life in a new story, we hope the nation is as captivated as we are to see two old friends back together this Christmas.”

The BFG is perfect for Sainsbury’s mission to create a Big Christmas for all. Having only snozzcumbers to devour in Giant Country, his curiosity for good food leads to an adventure of discovery and wonderment with Sainsbury’s Sophie in order to bring the magic of Christmas to everyone.”

Natalie Hopkins, Director of Global Product and Partnerships at the Roald Dahl Story Company

This brand-new campaign comes as more and more audiences are enjoying Roald Dahl’s iconic stories being brought to life. Recently, stage adaptations of The Witches and The Enormous Crocodile opened to critical acclaim and sell-out shows, Paul King’s Wonka became an international box-office smash and Wes Anderson’s cinematic adaptation of Roald Dahl’s adult short story The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar received numerous plaudits including an Academy Award. Brand new publishing inspired by Roald Dahl’s The Twits by Greg James and Chris Smith landed in the Top 10 Children’s Hardback charts upon release, and fans the world over continue to devour Roald Dahl products and enjoy partnerships like The Twits and Charlie & The Chocolate Factory Afternoon Teas in London.

The post Roald Dahl’s the BFG is the Star of Sainsbury’s New Heartwarming Christmas Advert appeared first on IPM Bitesize.

Meateors has landed with a playful brand identity and a powerful digital strategy aimed at revolutionising the meat snacking category. This launch goes beyond a simple product introduction. It represents a strategic campaign designed to cater to health-conscious consumers seeking tasty, convenient alternatives to traditional snacks.

Out-of-This-World Experience

The launch of Meateors is supported by a dynamic marketing strategy developed by Activation. This creative campaign draws from the product’s name to deliver a playful, space-themed brand identity that stands out in a crowded snack aisle, offering an “out-of-this-world” experience.

Digital Discovery and In-Store Visibility

Activation’s strategy combines impactful branding with strong positioning across digital platforms such as Meta and YouTube. With more than 2.4 billion active monthly users, YouTube remains a dominant platform for younger audiences, offering brands unparalleled access to engage this demographic. Meanwhile, Meta reports that 73% of Gen Z users are more likely to discover new products on its platforms, making it a key player in driving awareness and consideration.

“Meateors will appeal to a younger target audience, and we have chosen to launch on digital platforms that will catch their attention in a way that is customised to their interests and habits. This demographic love YouTube and Meta, and these working together has proven to be the ideal recipe for increasing awareness and consideration, resulting in the ideal launch combo for newcomers like Meateors.”

Matt Ramsay, Co-Founder & Managing Director at Activation

The seamless blend of digital discovery and in-store visibility creates a 360-degree experience, enhancing brand awareness and driving impulse purchases. The presence of Meateors in selected Morrisons Daily and SPAR stores further strengthens its visibility, inviting shoppers to grab a pack on-the-go.

“The meat snacking category is continuing to show impressive growth. However, there is a high demand from shoppers for more variety, with chicken being the most common protein, meaning pork is a relatively untapped opportunity. This is where our Meateors come in.”

“We’re proud to fill this gap in the market with a tasty, convenient option that boasts all the functional benefits of being protein-packed, therefore keeping consumers fuller for longer, as well as maintaining a great texture. We’re incredibly excited to be launching these new products under a vibrant new brand, Meateors, which is sure to disrupt the category with its fun and tasty range packed with flavour.”

Yvonne Adam, Chief Marketing Officer at The Compleat Food Group, home of Meateors

Aiming for the Stars

The Meateors campaign highlights a critical strategy in today’s retail environment: winning the battle for attention both outside and inside the store. According to a YouGov study commissioned by Activation, pre-shop digital touchpoints are instrumental in priming shoppers before they even step foot in a store. “If we can’t win in-store, we must create advantages outside,” says Co-Founder Dan Hirons. This philosophy shines for Meateors, as the brand leverages Meta and YouTube to engage its target audience before they even step into a store. By leveraging vibrant visuals and engaging content, Activation has successfully created a captivating brand world that resonates with its audience, ensuring that Meateors stands out in-store and on-screen.

The post Is the High-Protein Snack Category Ready for a Cosmic Shift? appeared first on IPM Bitesize.

The IPM’s Experiential Community gathers to chart the future of the sector, uniting industry leaders to define and amplify its purpose and value. This collective effort comes at a crucial time, as findings from the IPA Bellwether report reveal a remarkable 23.1% increase in event marketing budgets—up from 15.9% in the previous quarter. This surge in investment signifies a clear shift in marketing strategies, emphasising the critical role of real-world experiences in forging meaningful connections with consumers. So, what drives this investment in marketing spend during challenging economic times? Jon Evans, Chief Commercial Officer at System1, explains:

“The ‘why’ rests in consumers’ increasing demand for human connection. We’re still experiencing the pandemic bounce back, with hybrid working leading to a greater need for in-person interaction. As more work and leisure time is spent in the digital world, the desire for thrilling real-world experiences continues to increase, making it an essential channel for brands looking to build powerful audience connections.”

At Brand Experience 360, Olivia Rayner, Creative Director at Sense Marketing, highlights the loneliness epidemic impacting today’s youth. She paints a portrait of a post-pandemic world that feels increasingly digital, noisy, and overwhelming, which contributes to what she calls “Connected Anxiety.” Olivia argues that by creating immersive and meaningful experiences, brands can effectively address the emotional pain points of younger generations, enabling them to rediscover a sense of belonging and community in a disconnected world.

Engaging Communities & The Rise of Run Clubs

The rise of local run clubs reflects this growing need for community and face-to-face interaction in today’s digital age. Google Trends indicates a steady increase in searches for ‘Run Club‘ in the UK over the past five years while the Hackney Half Marathon has sold out for the first time ever, demonstrating the heightened appetite for community-driven events. In her article, “Is Strava the New Tinder?”, Clara Duval digs deeper into the phenomenon, exploring how platforms like Strava and local run clubs are redefining connections and promoting real-world meetups over traditional dating apps. Nick Tuppen, CEO of Threshold Sports, elaborates:

“The continued growth of wearable tech engaging people with their wellbeing and fitness shows how health is increasingly seen as the new wealth. Coupled with wider cultural trends for ‘athlete CEOs,’ platforms like Strava cultivating active communities, and the crossover of outdoor brands like North Face becoming high street staples, it’s no surprise that consumer appetite for active events is on the rise too.”

Recent research conducted by Bumble Inc. in collaboration with YouGov supports this theory, revealing a significant increase in the participation of active events for 2024. The report highlights a 31% increase in time spent and 17% rise in spending intentions for activities such as marathons and 10K runs. Driven primarily by Millennials and Gen Z, this trend highlights the significance of physical community gatherings, with participants engaging in active events an average of 3.6 times a year. Building on these insights, Bumble recently celebrated its first Run Club Festival, partnering with the five top running clubs in Paris for a week filled with runs, coffee collaborations, and brand experiences. This cultural shift highlights the role brands can play in uniting shared passions, in this case, health and wellbeing, through active experiences.

Bringing Brand Partnerships to Life

Through experiential marketing, brand partnerships come alive. A prime example is Polly Pocket’s recent 35th-anniversary collaboration with Airbnb, which captured widespread attention this summer by offering fans a chance to stay in a life-sized Polly Pocket replica. This collaboration taps into nostalgia, reflecting what Pion describes as “the pursuit of stagnation”—a desire to revisit and celebrate beloved aspects of the past. However, brands must proceed with caution when forming partnerships. Barbie’s ventures into unexpected product categories—such as toothpaste and meat-based snacks—have raised eyebrows. With over 165 brands associated with the recent movie, the sheer volume of these collaborations sparks debates about consumer fatigue, illustrating the delicate balance between cultural relevance and commercial saturation.

Technology Transforms the Viewing Experience

2024 brings sports and technology closer than ever before. TRO leads the way with the Just Eat Grabber and Pepsi Pulse Challenge, while also offering an exciting opportunity to test-drive a Mini in virtual reality at the Goodwood Festival of Speed. These pioneering campaigns reflect a broader trend in the industry: Lucy Porter, Strategy Partner at PrettyGreen | B Corp, highlights that spending on live sports is set to increase by 10% in time and 15% in overall expenditure. The Paris 2024 Olympic Games exemplify this shift, achieving a record-breaking 34 million livestream viewers and shattering the BBC’s sports streaming records. In response to this growing interest in live viewing, fan zones are on the rise, with Shared Reality Experiences like Cosm at the forefront of this trend, creating hybrid environments that allow fans to experience front-row seats from anywhere in the world.

Scent-sational Marketing

This year, brands like McDonald’s and Lynx have taken a bold step into sensory advertising with their aromatic billboards, transforming traditional marketing into immersive experiences. In a striking move, Doritos even ignited one of their billboards to launch a new spicy hot range, showcasing how brands can push boundaries with creative installations that engage consumers on multiple sensory levels. Aldi UK takes this a step further, winning the IPM Grand Prix with the world’s first rosé-dispensing billboard. Developed in collaboration with Hopper and Clarion Communications, this innovative installation pours rosé once the temperature hits 19.2°C—the ideal temperature for enjoying rosé. As we look to the future, the lines between advertising and experience are clearly blurring. How do you think these blurred lines will impact consumer expectations of advertising?

Brand Experiences for a New Generation

As we look to the next generation of brand experiences, it’s clear that both Gen Alpha and Gen Z are redefining how we interact with brands. In a digital world fraught with existential threats, the demand for real-life connections has never been greater. With many feeling too stressed to enjoy simple pleasures, nostalgia and Kidulting experiences—those that allow adults to embrace their inner child—are thriving.

What trends do you see shaping the future of experiential marketing? How are brands like Pinterest breaking the B2B mould? What role does the “main character” mentality play in light of AI and personalisation? We’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments below.

In response to these shifts, our Experiential Community is committed to leading the way and shaping the future of our industry. Emma Kirk, our General Manager, summarises:

“The IPM’s Experiential Effectiveness Community is shaping the future of experiential marketing. Together, we tackle critical industry challenges by defining the essence of experiential marketing and developing standardised measurement tools that provide quantifiable value for brands and agencies. By transforming competitors into collaborators, we empower one another to establish and elevate industry standards for the collective benefit. To register your interest and contribute to the progression of this dynamic sector, please reach out to us today.”

The post Run Clubs to Aromatic Billboards: Trends Shaping Experiential Marketing 2024 appeared first on IPM Bitesize.

McDonald’s Monopoly is one of the most iconic marketing promotions in history. For 35 years and counting, this legendary promotion has had customers nationwide eagerly peeling, collecting, and hoping for their big win. Today, the UK launches the 2024 edition, offering 60 million prizes, from MINI electric cars to all-inclusive holidays. We reveal the five key secrets behind its enduring success, including immediate gratification through instant rewards, customer retention driven by collect-to-win mechanics, and a simple, nostalgic format that has woven McDonald’s Monopoly deep into the fabric of popular culture. So, let’s roll the dice, ‘pass GO,’ and unlock the winning formula behind this fan-favourite promotion!

Why Has McDonald’s Monopoly Become So Iconic?

1. Instant Wins Keep the Momentum

At the heart of this promotion is the thrill of instant gratification. The ability to win a free drink, fries, or dessert immediately keeps customers engaged. Unlike promotions that involve lengthy forms or long wait times, McDonald’s delivers rewards on the spot, perfectly aligning with the fast-food model—It’s fast food meets fast rewards.

 “There is nothing quite like that feeling of winning with the Monopoly Game at Macca’s – the surprise of finding a winning ticket, the anticipation as you wait for your prize to be revealed, and the rush of joy as you finally complete a property set or get an instant win to perk up your day.

Tobi Fukushima, National Marketing Manager for McDonald’s

2. Driving Repeat Visits

Big-ticket prizes such as cars and luxury vacations aren’t won in a single visit. The collect-to-win system requires customers to gather multiple game pieces, encouraging them to return repeatedly. This transforms McDonald’s Monopoly into a sustained event, driving foot traffic and building customer loyalty throughout the six-week campaign.

3. It’s an Event, Not Just a Promotion

For many, the return of McDonald’s Monopoly is more than just a promotion—it’s an annual event. Entire communities engage by trading game pieces, strategising on how to complete sets, and celebrating their wins on social media. Fans eagerly anticipate its return, much like other seasonal phenomena such as Black Friday or an iPhone release.

4. “Peel, Play, Repeat”

The beauty of McDonald’s Monopoly lies in its simplicity. Peeling off a sticker to reveal a prize is engaging, tactile, and addictive. Yet, this straightforward mechanic has been scaled up with billions of game pieces and hundreds of millions of prizes. Even though the chances are small, the dream of winning £100,000 or a new car keeps customers hooked. It taps into the same psychology that drives lotteries, and it works just as well here.

5. FOMO is Real

The limited-time nature of McDonald’s Monopoly leverages the powerful force of Fear of Missing Out (FOMO). Customers know that they have only a short window to collect game pieces and win prizes, which encourages frequent visits. This sense of urgency drives a peak period for sales, as no one wants to miss their chance to win big.

The Secret Sauce to McDonald’s Monopoly Success

Since its launch in 1987, McDonald’s Monopoly has established itself as one of the most engaging promotions in marketing history. Its enduring popularity stems from a winning formula of instant rewards, collect-to-win mechanics, and a simple, nostalgic format that resonates with cultural relevance and popular culture.

The “Peel, Play, Repeat” mechanic offers immediate gratification, allowing customers to win prizes like free food items instantly, which perfectly aligns with McDonald’s fast service model. The immediate rewards—such as free drinks, fries, or desserts—satisfy consumer desires for quick service and quick wins, maintaining their engagement with the brand.

A collect-to-win system adds a layer of strategy, requiring customers to gather multiple pieces to win larger prizes, transforming the promotion into an ongoing event rather than a one-time interaction. This encourages frequent return visits, reinforcing customer loyalty as participants are motivated to keep coming back for another chance to progress toward a bigger prize.

By employing a limited-time availability, the promotion taps into the powerful force of FOMO (Fear of Missing Out), driving repeat visits and boosting sales during its run. With all these elements in play, what do you think is the key to its lasting success? Is it the thrill of instant rewards, the excitement of rare prizes, the FOMO effect, or perhaps the nostalgia of this legendary brand partnership? We’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments!

The post Peel, Play, and Win! The Magic of McDonald’s Monopoly Returns appeared first on IPM Bitesize.

A giant pink cat hologram surprises commuters at London Waterloo. The hologram shows HypnoCat, Recycle Your Electricals’ pink, fluffy mascot, playfully leaping out at commuters with his tail twitching and eyes swirling, giving commuters no other option than to be hypnotised into recycling their electricals by HypnoCat’s holographic eyes. 

The giant, 3 metre pink HypnoCat will be seen pouncing on commuters and mesmerising them with electrical items spiralling around him, highlighting the tech items that he wants everyone to recycle. The state of the art technology, provided by HyperGram, uses the latest holographic technology, without the need for a screen or glasses. 3-D objects float mid-air, ensuring that HypnoCat and his message are impossible to ignore. He’ll make recycling electricals unmissable for commuters, holiday goers and shoppers.

The HypnoCat hologram is being launched in the run-up to International E-Waste Day (October 14th), to encourage people across the UK to participate in The Great Cable Challenge. This nationwide campaign aims to address the millions of unused cables lying idle across homes by urging households, local authorities, retailers, schools and community projects to collectively recycle 1 million cables. Cables contain at least 20% copper and this precious material is lost forever when cables and other electricals are thrown away. Copper is an essential part of everyday items we take for granted, including our smart tech, transport, medical equipment and our green energy future.

“HypnoCat is out and about and  larger than ever before! Using incredible hologram technology in this unique visual way, we hope he will pawsuade many more people to take action and join us in our recycling efforts in the run up to International E-Waste Day.

“Almost all of us have those old, forgotten cables stashed away at home – I have a box under my bed of cables I’ve been holding onto ‘just in case’ but haven’t actually used in months or are broken. But by recycling them or donating those that still work, we can repurpose or reclaim that valuable copper currently going to waste. The Great Cable Challenge is a simple way for everyone to make a big, collective difference – by recycling at least one cable. Most people will be surprised at just how easy it is to do.”

Scott Butler, Executive Director of Material Focus

As a nation of cat lovers, we all know that “cats rule” and this cat is no exception – he’ll be distracting commuters, and even a few dogs! With his tail twitching impatiently, and his voice booming, he’ll compete with essential train information. Commuters at Waterloo on 20th – 24th August will find HypnoCat in 3D underneath the big train time information board. 

It’s been a joy bringing to life Hypnocat which seemed incredibly fitting to what we were trying to achieve this year. We hope consumers around London have a really enjoyable experience and we look forward to the results of the campaign!”

Bailey Young, Director at DMG

How can you get involved in International E-Waste Day?

Anyone can participate in The Great Cable Challenge and take one small action to make a big difference. Simply bag up your cables – and any other old, unwanted electricals you find in your ‘drawer of doom’ – and visit Recycle Your Electricals’ postcode locator to find your local donation or recycling point.

Material Focus has created a campaign toolkit to enable local authorities, retailers, schools and community projects across the UK to take part in the challenge and help inspire people to recycle their old cables and other small electricals. If you would like more information then please email hello@materialfocus.org.uk.

Partners can either:

• Set up pop-up cable collections in offices, universities, schools and community halls, to make it as easy as possible for employees, students or residents to recycle their household electricals and cables. The toolkit includes a step-by-step guide for setting up your own pop-up collection point (for household electricals only, not business waste). 
  
• Help promote the campaign using Material Focus’ communication materials, and raise awareness of electrical waste and encourage individuals, and local communities, to take action.

The post Giant Pink Cat Surprises Passersby at Waterloo Station appeared first on IPM Bitesize.

In 2011, Coca-Cola faced a challenge many established brands encounter: staying relevant. Young consumers were losing interest, and sales were declining. The solution was simple yet revolutionary: personalisation. By replacing its logo with 150 of the most popular names in Australia, Coca-Cola invited consumers to “Share a Coke” with someone special. This change turned each bottle into a gift, social media post, or conversation starter. Success was immediate, with millions sharing their bottles online and even queuing outside stores to collect the names of friends and family.

“Coca-Cola’s ‘Share a Coke’ campaign shows us the potency of seeing the world through the customer’s eyes, proving that marketing is not just about selling products, but about connecting stories. It embodies what I have always said: Instead of using technology to automate processes, think about using technology to enhance human interaction.”

Steve Jobs

By 2014, the campaign had reached over 80 countries, including major markets like the United States, the United Kingdom, and China. Each country celebrated cultural diversity by incorporating popular local names and phrases. In China, surnames like “Li” and “Wang” decorated the bottles, while in the UK, names like “Jack” and “Olivia” took centre stage. This personalised approach contrasted sharply with the traditional one-size-fits-all marketing strategies that had dominated the industry for decades.

The “Share a Coke” campaign faced challenges. Critics argued it wasn’t inclusive enough, as consumers with unique names often felt left out. Coca-Cola responded by launching an online platform allowing consumers to create personalised bottles with any name. Another innovation came in 2016 with the “selfie bottle“, featuring a built-in camera that captured photos mid-drink, embedding virality into the product to turn each sip into a shareable moment.

Building on this success, Coca-Cola has now announced a new iteration focused on Diet Coke. Until September 2024, UK fans can find personalised cans and bottles featuring over 150 popular names. Recognising that some fans might not find their names on the shelves.

Diet Coke is also offering 4,000 chances to win a personalised can. By purchasing a Diet Coke, scanning a QR code, and downloading the Coca-Cola app, consumers can enter to win. All entrants will also be automatically entered into a weekly prize draw for luxury experiences worth up to £5,000, reinforcing the concept of the “ultimate Diet Coke break.“

“We know how much our fans love a Diet Coke break—taking time for themselves in the midst of their busy lives—so, it made perfect sense for us to make that time even more special. We’re so excited to be bringing personalised cans to our fans this summer and we’d love to hear from them when they spot theirs in-store by tagging @DietCokeGB.”

Louise Maugest, Senior Marketing Director for Diet Coke

The decision to revisit and expand the “Share a Coke” concept has drawn praise from marketing experts. Olivia Mae Hanlon, Founder of Girls in Marketing, highlights the importance of recycling successful ideas while Laura Kinsman, Digital Account Manager at KW Marketing, reflects on the campaign’s enduring success:

“STOP being afraid to repurpose and recycle your old content… The Coca-Cola Company always does this so well. They have recently reinvented their iconic Share a Coke campaign with personalised names, focusing on their Diet Coke brand and leaning into the ‘Diet Coke break’ craze. This is a key example that it’s not about reinventing the wheel in marketing. Review and reflect, then rinse and repeat.”

Olivia Mae Hanlon, Founder of Girls in Marketing

“If it ain’t broke… don’t fix it! The campaigns that stand the test of time are some of the BEST. The campaigns you remember randomly years down the line. Not every piece of marketing WILL be this and that’s normal… and EXPECTED. But when it happens, it’s ICONIC.”

Laura Kinsman, Digital Account Manager at KW Marketing

Coca-Cola’s ‘Share a Coke’ campaign demonstrates the remarkable power of personalisation, turning a simple bottle design into a compelling conversation starter. From its initial success in Australia to the recent Diet Coke campaign, Coca-Cola has broken generational and geographical barriers, one name at a time.

The post The Power of Personalisation: How Coca-Cola’s “Share a Coke” Became a Marketing Masterclass appeared first on IPM Bitesize.

Activation teams up with Tilda for a flavourful campaign promoting their ready-to-heat flavoured rice pouches. Tilda is a much-loved, multicultural British brand, and Activation jumped at the chance to elevate their latest product range.

The aim? To grab shoppers’ attention along the path to purchase with a creative idea that combines ease and convenience with the exciting possibility of unlocking a world of flavour.

CREATE TA-DAA! WITH TILDA!

The concept is simple: Tilda flavoured rice adds the TA-DAA! to teatime. Looking to create something new and inspiring? Count on Tilda to transform dinner into a plate to be proud of. Easy experimentation meets remarkable results. The idea needed to be light-hearted, snappy, ownable, and inspirational. But most importantly, visually exciting and engaging!

The concept is built on the insight that millennials, the target audience, are adventurous and keen to try new things. However, they fear failure and don’t have time for experiments that might not work. Tilda offers a solution, allowing them to explore new flavours and cuisines, elevating their mealtimes.

Activation Across the Shopper Journey

At the heart of the promotion is the chance for shoppers to win a flavour-filled holiday for two! Choose from flavour adventures in Jamaica, Mexico, Portugal, or Greece, perfectly linking back to Tilda’s product flavours.

They also gave away 80 individual prizes to be won over 80 days, including everything from air fryers to Tilda bundles, all centred around the brand campaign ‘Elevate your plate’. Consumers simply need to purchase a pack of Tilda ready-to-heat flavoured rice to enter.

Activation has worked across the entire shopper journey, utilising various touchpoints both online and offline:

• In-Store: FSDUs, retailer magazine ads, aisle fins, and more.
• Social Media: Paid and organic social creatives alongside TikTok-specific content.
• Out-of-Home (OOH): 14 and 6 sheets at key locations and on the Tube.

The campaign launched on 1st May and runs until 19th July, and can be seen at https://www.tilda-tadaa.com

The post TA-DAA! Activation Spices Up Shopper Journey with Tilda appeared first on IPM Bitesize.

Lounges.tv, a new and disruptive streaming platform backed by Simon Cowell, is now a proud member of the IPM. The disruptive new business model allows fans and followers to discover, interact with, and support the creators they love.

Since Lounges.tv launched last year, it’s helped thousands of artists and creators earn money and connect with fans. The platform is home to a diverse range of creators, from musicians, comedians and chefs to educators and fitness trainers. It’s a space where creators curate and share their content through live, interactive streaming, video-on-demand and one-to-ones, via their own channels or ‘live lounges’.

From the viewers’ perspective, Lounges.tv is a place where they can find exclusive content (i.e. content not available anywhere else) from their favourite creators on their individual Lounges channels, and interact with these creators. They can take part in livestreamed events, watch video-on-demand, and request one-to-one sessions (two-way streaming) with creators. During livestreams, viewers can interact with creators via web chat, can send tips – visible to other viewers as well as to the creator running the livestream – and can even be invited to take part in a livestream (i.e. ‘come on stage’).

In addition to Simon Cowell, the streaming platform is backed by Prince’s former manager Kiran Sharma and BBC iPlayer founder Ben Lavender. It has fruitful partnerships with several innovative companies including: C-Screens, Ocean Outdoors, Time Machine Capital Squared, and The Outernet.

What sets Lounges.tv apart from other streaming platforms?

Whereas many streaming platforms rely on a conventional revenue model, Lounges.tv offers a pioneering, creator-first revenue model. Specifically, the platform gives creators access to a pay-per-view paywall (viewers pay to watch video content), tipping revenue model (fans can tip during live performances), and ticketing revenue. Creators keep 80% of their streaming income, and are paid within 24 hours of their content being made available on their Lounges.tv channels.

Another way Lounges.tv is a truly interactive platform where creators create their own communities or “live Lounges”, and invite followers on their social media channels to Lounges.tv for longer-form, exclusive content, e.g., livestreams and video-on-demand. Creators manage their own channels – they are in the driving seat – and can choose to monetise as much of their content as they wish. The fact that they are rewarded fairly (80% of revenue) motivates creators to use Lounges for their best content.

What the Lounges.tv team says:

“What really drew me in to this platform is that it supports emerging talent. The artists literally get paid within 24 hours and take 80 per cent of the revenue – brilliant.”

Simon Cowell

“Musicians, comedians, educators and any other kind of content creator are having a hard time now. At the heart of Lounges.tv is our creator-first revenue share model. We want to enable creators to move away from an unhealthy obsession with meaningless reach and follower numbers, and instead to a focus on meaningful and true fan engagement. This is how creators will be rewarded fairly, and this is what will motivate them to create content and fulfil their potential.

Craig Gardner, Lounges.tv Co-founder and CPO

“One of the things we wanted to do when Craig and I set up Lounges.tv was support musicians – and creators more generally – in making a living. This is also why Simon Cowell – the ultimate champion of talent – has backed our company.

“There’s a wealth of talent out there and we believe that – whether you’ve got 10 followers or 100,000 followers – you should be able to generate income from your hard work and creativity.

“I find it really heartening to hear incredible artists talking about how the platform has made a difference to their lives – and to their bank balances. This is exactly what we set out to do when we created Lounges.tv. It’s our mission to democratise content creation – and that means making sure that talented creators have access to a have a fair platform where they can share their content, get discovered and make a living.

“The creators who join us know that the platform represents an exciting departure from the conventional ad-centric model that values creators according to how many ad views and followers they can amass. We are in the business of making sure that talent that gets rewarded, which is why we don’t rely on ads but instead give creators a number of fan-funding options – tickets, tips or pay-per-view. It’s so great to see artists taking control!”

Scott Green, Lounges.tv Co-founder and CEO

How exactly do creators get earn revenue on Lounges.tv?

There are three ways creators can get funded by fans and followers via the platform. Importantly, creators can choose not to charge for specific events or video-on-demand – they have full control of their channels or ‘live lounges:

• The tipping function, which allows viewers to make financial contributions (tips) to artists during their online performances (it’s fun for creators and viewers see the tips and tippers flagged during the live chat)
• Ticket sales for creators’ online gigs/livestreams
• Pay-per-view for any video content that creators share via their Lounges.tv channels.
• Profile tipping – earnings revenue does not stop when the creators are not live; viewers can tip via creators’ profiles.
• One-to-ones

The harsh reality of the music industry in statistics – calling all music venues!

Research shows 54% of musicians in the UK earn an annual income of less than £21,000, with many (44%) saying a lack of income means a career in music is ‘unsustainable’*¹. Among content creators more broadly, it is becoming harder than ever for them to get their work seen online. With a staggering 3.7 million new videos flooding YouTube*² and 34 million TikToks uploaded daily*³, almost three quarters (72%) of content creators say they made less than £393 ($500 USD) in the last 12 months*⁴.

Artists are not the only ones facing challenges – the UK’s grassroots music venues are closing at an unprecedented rate, according to a report from the Music Venue Trust*⁵. In 2023, 125 venues have closed – a rate of two per week. And 38% of the venues that are still open report making a financial loss in 2023, despite seeing an increased demand for tickets.

It’s against this industry backdrop that Lounges.tv is aiming to shake up the content creation industry, to the benefit of creators – and venues – who want to livestream to a broader audience, get discovered and earn money. The music industry has changed a lot over the last fifteen years, driven of course largely by streaming and digital technology, but we don’t want this to be at the expense of live venues. We all want venues to stay open – this is important for artists and important for fans. We’d encourage more venues to come on board and embrace the positive aspects of these changes. Step 1: set up livestreams of your events!

Lounges.tv is a sanctuary for talented content creators, and works with them to ensure they receive the recognition and rewards they deserve. Lounges.tv is the future of the content creation industry and things are moving fast – so watch this space!

Discover more here: https://lounges.tv

The post Lounges.tv Disrupts Streaming with Creator-First Revenue Model appeared first on IPM Bitesize.

Promotional marketing agency Cat Among The Pigeons has announced the launch of a major on-pack campaign for Aunt Bessie’s, the UK’s No.1 Yorkshire pudding and roast potato brand.

‘Win Gifts’ launches nationally in October for ten weeks and is timed to support families in the build up to Christmas and the huge growth in roast dinner occasions. The on-pack promotion will feature on more than eight million packs of frozen Yorkshire Puddings and Roasties across all major supermarkets and convenience stores.

The ‘Win Gifts’ promotion has a huge prize fund, believed to be Aunt Bessie’s biggest ever. Each promotional pack features the chance to win an all-inclusive holiday with Jet2holidays every week; a Tower air fryer every day or 1 of 20,000 ‘£1 off Aunt Bessie’s’ coupons.

Cat Among The Pigeons negotiated the partnership with Jet2holidays, the UK’s favourite package holiday brand, to add even more value for families. For the price of a bag of Aunt Bessie’s Yorkshire Puddings or Roasties, every entrant can also claim £65 off their next Jet2holidays booking.

In recognition that Aunt Bessie’s Yorkshire Puddings and Roasties can now be air fried quickly the prize fund also features Tower air fryers which use less energy and time to cook a roast dinner than a conventional oven.

Cat Among The Pigeons designed the Yorkshire Pudding and Roast Potatoes promotional packs to have huge impact and stand out within the category, where display can often be hidden behind freezer doors. The promotion will also be supported by a six figure investment in shopper marketing, freezer category point of sale and social media to build further awareness and excitement.

Cat Among The Pigeons created the new microsite (AuntBessiesGifts.co.uk) to allow easy entry to the promotion. Simply scan the QR code on pack and shoppers will be directed to the site which validates purchase, showcases prizes and provides full terms and conditions.

Charlotte Vause, assistant brand manager at Aunt Bessie’s, said: “the last 12 months have been challenging for many families with growing energy costs and the cost of living crisis. We wanted to bring some excitement back to the category in the run up to Christmas and reward shoppers with added value for choosing Aunt Bessie’s for their next roast.”

Paul McGann, founder of Cat Among The Pigeons added “shoppers are increasingly looking around for better value and this new on pack range promotion certainly delivers. We know families still want to enjoy a holiday in 2024 and so these amazing prizes with Jet2holidays should really appeal. With lots of chances to win and a guaranteed reward for all entrants, we hope ‘Win Gifts’ makes shopping frozen a bit more fun this Autumn.”

The post Cat Among The Pigeons creates a roast winner for Aunt Bessie’s appeared first on IPM Bitesize.

This year, Activation has been on a journey with Wall’s developing their new brand comms platform.  From working through their strategic challenges, audience insights, and brand proposition they have landed on a brand line to bring their comms together under a single, unifying idea.

With a best-ever recipe, Wall’s continues to do everything it has always done, but now it’s better, not only in terms of quality and taste, but also there’s also a plan for the brand to do more for the people and communities that it serves, by tackling hunger.

When hunger calls, grab a Wall’s!

The agency has used the new recipe campaign to launch the new line.

With a challenge to use the new recipe story to get sausage rolls into people’s minds and shopping baskets, they developed a high-reach social campaign focused on awareness and consideration.

With 64 layers of moreish flaky pastry and mouthwatering sausage filling, Wall’s sausage rolls are better than ever with their best-ever taste and highest-ever quality.  What more do you expect from the nation’s favourite?!

The team knew that the creative needed a key focus, for them this was ‘hunger’ – one of the key purchase factors for the product (and brand!) and something we can all relate to.

And so ‘Chomp, chomp, chomp’ was born! A mouthwatering animation that highlights the product’s new recipe as the beautifully photographed sausage roll disappears, one chomp at a time! (Hungry yet?)

The animation uses a warm voiceover and most importantly, ends with their new brand line… You can watch it here: https://youtu.be/oBIQZbZEmdI

When hunger calls, Grab a Wall’s

The campaign is live on Facebook, Instagram and YouTube currently stopping thumbs and grabbing attention as we speak!

You’ll be seeing more of this line in months to come as Activation has lots of exciting things coming your way…. Watch this space!

The post Activation’s Brand Campaign Development For Wall’s appeared first on IPM Bitesize.