5 Inspiring Brand Activation examples & ideas to elevate your marketing strategy
Brand activation takes your brand from ‘just another brand’ to the brand your customers can’t stop talking about. The brand that adds energy into everyday life. The brand they’ll remember, long after the end of your campaign.
But knowing what to do for your brand activation is another question. At Tecna, we thrive on getting creative and pushing the limits of what’s possible – and we’re here to spark inspiration for your next marketing campaign with five real-life brand activation examples.
Here comes the inspiration you’ve been looking for.
Table of Contents
What is brand activation?
What makes brand activation worthwhile?
5 real-life brand activation examples
1. Butternut Box at Crufts
2. Ben & Jerry’s Big Ice Screening
3. Apple’s ‘Shot On iPhone’ Campaign
4. Greggs Valentine’s Day In-Store Event
5. Gunnebo’s Sustainable Product Demonstration
What goes into a successful brand activation strategy?
Innovative brand activation ideas
Measuring the success of your brand activation
Frequently asked questions
What is brand activation?
Brand activation is a marketing strategy that aims to give your brand meaning: when your brand is activated, it becomes something more to your customers. Your business goes from a supplier to something real, something worth engaging with.
Brand activation campaigns often use real-life experiences to do this, like live events or pop-up shops, but they can also use digital spaces like social media platforms. A brand activation could be anything from an influencer partnership to an immersive pop-up experience.
What defines a successful brand activation more than anything else is the experience your customers have and how this changes their feelings towards your brand, sparking increased brand loyalty and deeper connections.
Just getting started with brand activation? Read our full guide: What is Brand Activation?
What makes brand activation worthwhile?
What kind of impact can brand activation have for your business?
• Stand out from the crowd: Nothing sets you apart like a brand activation – if it’s done right. It’s not just about convincing new or existing customers to use their spare time engaging with your business, it’s making it irresistible with an activation that excites them. Once you achieve this, you’re no longer blending in to the crowd.
And the KPIs reflect this. At Confex 2025, our brand activation efforts delivered 600+ new leads – find out how we did it in our case study.
• Generate brand awareness: Whether you’re a new brand, you’re planning a rebrand, or your competitors are getting more leads than you are, brand activations are an excellent way to get people talking about your brand in the way you want them to.
• Build an emotional connection: As reported in a study by Reach3 Insights and The Keller Advisory Group, 55% of consumers say they feel an emotional connection to a brand through experiences – with only 16% saying they feel the same about traditional advertising. Brand activations are your stage for creating these experiences.
• Create lasting impressions: Great brand experiences stay with people long after they’ve walked away. That’s the goal of effective brand activations: to spark a moment of connection that turns into memory, and memory that turns into loyalty. We’ll explore brand activation examples that did just that in the next section.
5 real-life brand activation examples
Whether you’re launching a product, building brand affinity, or reinforcing your values, an effective brand activation campaign should be built around creating memorable experiences.
Here are our five top picks for brand activations that hit the brief.
1. Butternut Box at Crufts
Butternut Box is a dog food company with a difference: everything is fresh.
With a commitment to providing the most nutritious food possible to dogs around the UK, they wanted their brand stand at Crufts to reflect the care put into every meal.
This brand activation started with the design of the stand itself, which was themed to look like a kitchen – creating an immersive environment for visitors to step into, whilst reinforcing the brand’s difference in cooking fresh.
Then there was the Bowl of Truth, where dogs got to have the final say! Butternut Box’s fresh ingredients were plated up alongside the ingredients listed in other dog foods, and the dogs at Crufts gave their opinion through a ‘sniff test.’
Not only did this interactive experience involve the dogs themselves – a core part of Butternut Box’s target audience’s lives – it also made the ingredients highly visual to the owners.
Brand activations are all about showing, and not telling – and that’s exactly what this did for Butternut Box. It showcased their commitment to fresh ingredients in new, creative ways, and connected them with owners by reinforcing how much they care about dogs.
Feeling inspired? Discover the other impactful activations Butternut Box had on their stands at Crufts – read the case study.
2. Ben & Jerry’s Big Ice Screening
Popular ice cream brand Ben & Jerry’s used a pop-up brand activation event to remind their customers of how well their products pair with movie nights.
Over three days, the brand screened movies outdoors for customers to watch – with free ice cream to go with it. Whilst this alone set up an immersive experience for customers, Ben & Jerry’s took it a step further by having the screen powered by bikes.
Ben & Jerry’s were running their first ‘Save Our Swirled‘ campaign at the time, which launched a new flavour to raise awareness of climate change and urged customers to take action to protect the environment. This pop-up event showed they were serious about it; reinforcing their brand values and connecting them strongly with like-minded customers.
3. Apple’s ‘Shot On iPhone’ Campaign
How did Apple create an experience by promoting the quality of the iPhone’s camera? They got users involved, combining both traditional and digital marketing campaigns to create a standout brand activation.
Apple’s ‘Shot On iPhone’ campaign called on iPhone users to share photos they had taken for a chance to win prizes.
Apple then shared these photos on billboards around the world. Each photo was accompanied by the slogan ‘Shot On iPhone,’ a simple way to highlight the capability of the iPhone’s camera, whilst also tuning into the emotions of capturing memories through photos.
The competitive element made it more than a simple advertising campaign, it made it something the existing community could get involved in, something that made engaging with the brand exciting. This was an exceptional way for Apple to strengthen their connection with existing customers through social media engagement, whilst showcasing the quality of their product to attract new customers.
4. Greggs Valentine’s Day In-Store Event
Whilst Greggs breakfasts are a staple in the UK, they’re unlikely to be your first thought when it comes to Valentine’s dinner. Which is exactly why they transformed select stores into candle-lit restaurants for Valentine’s Day in 2019.
This in-person brand activation was unexpected, it was playful, and it was unlike anything they’d done before.
Stores were fitted with white table cloths, roses, heart balloons, and a one-night only Valentines day themed menu, featuring a twist on classic Greggs favourites. It offered a completely new experience for Greggs fans, and, by going against expectations, it built on Greggs’ light-hearted brand identity whilst increasing brand awareness.
5. Gunnebo’s Sustainable Product Demonstration
Gunnebo are global leaders in security that use events to showcase their products. But they had a problem – events had been high-waste for them in the past, something that didn’t line up with their brand ethos of staying sustainable.
For the Passenger Terminal Expo in Frankfurt, they partnered with our team at Tecna to deliver a product demonstration that put sustainability first. We set the scene by designing the stand after a VIP airport lounge, considering every detail for sustainability as well as impact.
Not only did this deliver the best live demo experience Gunnebo had ever had at an event, it also strengthened their brand values to their target audience – with clear reports on their social media showing exactly how they had prioritised sustainability at the event.
Interest in the brand went beyond the event itself, not just for their products, but also for the commitment they demonstrated to sustainable exhibiting.
Want to do the same at an upcoming event? Find out how we kept Gunnebo’s stand sustainable in the full case study.
What goes into a successful brand activation strategy?
Now you know our top picks for the best brand activation examples – what can you take away from them?
Successful brand activation campaigns start long before the moment of engagement. They begin with a clear objective, a deep understanding of your audience, and a creative concept that ties it all together.
You need a bold idea – but also the right format, the right timing, and the right environment to bring it to life. Your messaging should be focused, your experience purposeful, and your delivery seamless. Whether you’re planning a live event, a digital campaign, or a hybrid experience, success lies in aligning every element behind one core idea: what do you want people to feel, remember, and do?
Creative brand activation ideas
When it comes to brand activation, it pays to think beyond the usual. The most memorable experiences are the ones that invite your audience to do more than watch – they pull people in, make them feel something, and leave a lasting impression.
Here are some of the most exciting ways to push the possible.
Digital activations
Whether it’s dynamic screens, motion-triggered projections, or interactive apps, digital tools are a powerful way to bring your brand to life – and keep people engaged for longer.
At Tecna, one of our go-to favourites is the Prize Vault. It’s simple but seriously effective: visitors enter a code on a touchscreen to see if they’ve won. The suspense keeps the energy high and encourages people to return throughout the day.
Gamification
Add a little challenge, and suddenly you’ve got a crowd. Gamification taps into our natural instinct to compete, play, and win – and it’s a brilliant way to drive traffic, create buzz, and get people talking.
Think mini golf. Claw machines. Leader boards. Puzzle walls. Whether it’s a skill-based game or a bit of playful luck, turning your activation into an experience people want to try – and want to beat – creates energy that spreads fast.
Gamification also opens the door to social media challenges that extend your activation far beyond its physical footprint. When you combine interactive games with hashtag competitions or creative prompts, you’re encouraging user-generated content that amplifies your message, spreads organically, and invites even more people to join in.
Sensory experiences
Great brand activations don’t just show your product, they immerse people in your world. Tapping into the senses helps create deeper emotional connection and a more memorable experience overall.
• Visual impact comes first. Whether it’s the environment, the packaging, or the way people move through the space, intentional design can stop someone in their tracks.
• Scent is subtle but powerful – the smell of fresh coffee, citrus, earth, or even something surprising can transport people and leave a deeper imprint.
• Sound adds texture. Whether it’s ambient music, voiceovers, or reactive sound that shifts with interaction, audio can elevate an activation and shape how people feel and respond in real time.
Ideal for pop-up stores, product showcases, and high-impact event marketing, sensory experiences are a dependable choice when you want to leave an impression.
Partnerships with other brands and influencers
Partnering with non-competing brands that share your audience can open the door to bigger ideas, shared resources, and twice the impact. Whether it’s a joint pop-up, a co-branded event, or a shared experience at an exhibition, brand partnerships add value.
And when it comes to reach? Influencer marketing is your amplifier. Bringing influencers into your brand activation – whether through hosting, coverage, or co-creation – helps you connect with new audiences in a way that feels authentic.
Measuring the success of your brand activation
You’ve done the work and now it’s time to prove the impact. Measuring your brand activation helps you understand what resonated, what needs refining, and where to go next.
Here’s how to make it happen, step by step:
1. Define your objective: Start by being crystal clear about what you’re trying to achieve. Are you driving awareness, engagement, lead generation, or product trial? Your objective will guide everything that follows.
2. Set the right KPIs: Once your goal is set, choose the Key Performance Indicators that align. If it’s awareness, for example, look at impressions, footfall, or social reach.
3. Choose your tracking tools: Decide how you’ll capture the data. This could be through digital forms, heat mapping, footfall counters, social listening tools, or surveys. Make sure it’s all in place before the activation begins.
4. Monitor in real time: Track your performance as the activation unfolds. This gives you the chance to adjust on the fly if something isn’t landing – or double down on what’s working.
5. Review, reflect and refine: After the activation wraps, analyse the results. What exceeded expectations? What could be improved? Use these insights to fuel smarter decisions next time – and to show stakeholders the value you’ve delivered.
For unforgettable brand activation campaigns: Team Tecna
At Tecna, we work with ambitious brands to turn bold ideas into experiences people remember.
Whether you’re launching something new, entering a new market, or looking to connect on a deeper level with your audience, we bring the creative strategy, technical delivery, and live energy that make it happen.
From immersive brand worlds to playful, gamified campaigns and multisensory experiences – we help you build real connections, spark curiosity, and drive action.
Big idea in mind?
Need help shaping the vision?
Let’s create something unforgettable together. Explore our brand activation services.
Frequently asked questions
We’ve covered some of the most common questions on brand activation below.
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What is a brand activation strategy?
A brand activation strategy is your plan for how you’ll bring your brand to life through direct audience engagement. It’s about turning abstract brand values into real-world experiences – the kind people connect with, remember, and share.
The strategy outlines your goal (e.g. awareness, trial, lead generation), your audience, your creative concept, and how you’ll deliver it – from channel to messaging to measurement. It ensures that every element of your activation is aligned and intentional.
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I’ve never done a brand activation before – where do I start?
Brand activation can seem complex if you’ve never done it before. You might be wondering: What’s the right format? Where should it happen? How do I even begin pulling it together?
That uncertainty is normal. But it doesn’t need to hold you back.
The best place to start is with your goal. What do you want this activation to achieve? Whether it’s awareness, product trial, lead generation, or pure buzz, that single point of focus will shape everything else. The creative direction, the format, the space, the tools, and the follow-up.
We offer a full-service solution at Tecna – from concept and design through to build, logistics, and live delivery. Whether you’ve got a loose idea or a blank page, we help you shape your strategy, bring it to life, and manage every step along the way.
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What are KPIs for brand activation?
KPIs, or Key Performance Indicators, are the metrics you use to track whether your activation worked. If you’re aiming to boost brand awareness, KPIs might include footfall, dwell time, impressions, or content shares. For lead generation, you’ll be looking at contact captures, form completions, or follow-up bookings. If the aim is to increase engagement, look at interaction rates, competition entries, or video plays.
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What are examples of sponsorship activation?
Sponsorship activation is when a brand turns its sponsorship into a real audience experience – something that goes beyond a logo on a screen and actively boosts brand visibility.
For example, a brand sponsoring an influencer might go further by creating co-branded content, hosting a giveaway, or launching a product together. If a brand sponsors an event, it could activate that sponsorship with interactive zones, product sampling, or exclusive VIP access.
The goal is to boost engagement, using the sponsorship as a platform to connect with people in a way that feels genuine, exciting, and on-brand.
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What’s the difference between brand activation and experiential marketing?
Brand activation is the broader idea – it’s all about bringing your brand to life and creating real connections with your audience. Experiential marketing is one way to do this. It’s about offering an experience – something interactive, immersive, or hands-on that both existing and potential customers can engage with directly. Both serve to enhance customer loyalty and increase brand awareness through inviting user participation.
