ABOUT THIS PROJECT
Jelly Belly - ‘Christmas in July’ event
THE PROBLEM:
In the world of media, Christmas starts in the summer. Editors are hungry for a taste of new products to share with their audiences. The trouble is, press have limited time to see all the seasonal product that will be launching to market. In order to make an impact, and be memorable not only just to editors, but also to influencers, we needed facetime at a convenient location.
THE SOLUTION:
We booked a place for Jelly Belly at the annual ‘Christmas in July’ event which is held at the London Business Design Centre. This is the leading retail festival for media, attracting 190 brands as well as 800+ editors and influencers every year. It was the consecutive year the brand participated with last year achieving 21 pieces of coverage, so we were back with a bang
Our recipe for success saw the ‘edible’ meet the ‘experiential’. To entice attendees into the dedicated Jelly Belly space, and to drive instant, organic media and social coverage, we created an Instagram-able vignette. After all, influencers love a beautiful backdrop and props. Presenting a photo opportunity aimed to encourage snapping and sharing on social there-and-then to act as a teaser for the brands new product lines.
THE OBJECTIVES:
To drive awareness of three new product lines due to be released from Autumn 2019, among the priority demographic – millennials and Gen Z. The new lines included: A Donut Shoppe Mix, an extended Harry Potter collection (complete with a chocolate replica of Voldemort’s wand) and festive favourites like an advent calendar
To devise a strategy that enticed influencers to cover new product lines on Instagram, without incurring a fee. in a creative space that lent itself to encouraging social media activity. Ultimately we wanted to generate organic, earned exposure that our target audience would see and get excited about
To strengthen relationships with key media (across social, digital and print) cementing Jelly Belly as their go-to for gift guides
WHAT WE DID:
We didn’t need shelves of stock. This was a showcase, not a shop floor. Instead, we pored over Instagram feeds for trends, then took the theme of two, of the three, hero products and translated this into two complimentary interactive experiences.
The first half celebrated the Donut Shoppe Mix, with a dreamy doughnut theme. Our Creative team designed a branded step-and-repeat style backdrop that mirrored the product’s packaging. We captured the spirit of summer (given that it was still July), with doughnut inflatables to invite a fun photoshoot.
The second half of the space channelled the sophistication of the Sparkling Wine jelly beans, with a champagne glass centrepiece large enough for influencers to sit and strike a pose in. Very Dita von Teese. For a product popular around Christmas and New Year’s, red and silver garlands provided a fun, festive backdrop.
Better yet, Jelly Belly’s stand served as an ‘ice-breaker’ to talk about the product. To sweeten the deal, goodie bags packed with new products for influencers and editors to sample were given to guests. Our team on the ground encouraged social shares of these too.
Editors and influencers alike, praised the products and experience, claiming it to be “the best stand there”.
THE RESULTS
101 editors and 54 influencers visited the stand
13 influencer photos and Instagram stories shared on Jelly Belly’s UK social accounts
7.2k social engagements on Jelly Belly’s UK social accounts
47 Instagram stories posted on influencers own social accounts
40 pieces of coverage for the Donut Shoppe Mix with more expected to land in Christmas gift guides
9 pieces of coverage for the newly launched extended Harry Potter line, with more expected to land over the festive period
8 pieces of coverage for Christmas already (it was October at the time of writing this)
