The Return of the Real

Nothing beats the energy of real-life connection—whether it’s sharing the thrill of a live music act, bonding over a shared obsession, or immersing yourself in a brand experience that actually earns your attention.

As traditional advertising loses its edge—failing to reach audiences with the same impact it once did—marketers are leaning into live events as a way to cut through. But this isn’t about stunts. It’s about crafting culturally relevant, creatively rich experiences that people want to be part of.

In recent months, brands like EE, McVitie’s, Sheba and IKEA have staged ambitious real-world activations—designed not just to celebrate launches and milestones, but to draw audiences into their worlds.

“If you want to be part of the conversation, you have to create experiences that enter those spaces—and that people want to talk about and engage with,” says Natalia Ball, global chief growth officer at Mars Pet Nutrition. “That might be something useful for pet parents, or something entertaining, or something that opens minds. But it has to be talkable. That’s the shift we’re making.”

Mars recently brought that thinking to life with an underwater sensory experience at London’s Natural History Museum, premiering the documentary behind its award-winning ‘Sheba Hope Grows’ project.

From conferences and exhibitions to experiential campaigns, sponsorships, product sampling and corporate hospitality, marketers are now placing more focus on brand experiences than they have in recent years.

Since the lifting of pandemic restrictions, the sector has seen steady growth—something confirmed by the latest IPA Bellwether report for Q1 2025, which shows marketing executives continuing to revise their event budgets upward. This marks the 13th consecutive quarter of growth in the category.

“What’s motivating for clients, brands, and agencies alike is the variety of outputs and touchpoints,” says Katie Hunter, co-founder and managing partner of Wonderhood Studios. “Whether it’s PR coverage, paid social, or simply the impact of someone walking past the experience, it’s about reaching new audiences in memorable ways.”

According to the IPA, 26.2 per cent of survey respondents increased their event marketing budgets in Q1, compared to 20.8 per cent who reduced them. However, while the sector remains in growth, momentum may be slowing—the net balance of +5.4 per cent is down from +12.3 per cent in the previous quarter, and the lowest figure recorded since Q3 2022.

.“We’re seeing a cultural shift: people are placing greater value on real-world, physical experiences. Despite rapid technological advancements, 75 per cent of consumers say they crave more in-person interactions with real people,” says Sarah Bryers, director of Live Experiences at TMW.

“This is where the impact of live events shines. Whether addressing a brand challenge or engaging a specific audience, events provide a powerful platform to build authentic, human connections,” Bryers continues.

The most important element of any brand experience though, is not the location, food or materials – “it's the narrative that matters,” states Jess Dyas, EVP of Integrated Media Strategy for Weber Shandwick. “The customer journey must offer community value, beyond an empty brand moment.”

She highlights eBay’s takeover of Morley’s chicken shop in East London as an example of one that tapped into sneakerhead culture to become culturally resonant. It saw menus become sneaker menus and featured giveaways, DJ sets and community icon talks, allowing eBay to align with fans over resellers in a way that felt authentic to the core community.

“In a fragmented media age, brands can't rely on a single channel. Every touchpoint, from social to experiential, shapes a nuanced brand identity. As younger generations seek real-world connections, brand experiences have become essential. Effective live events bridge brands and communities, going beyond visual elements like location or design. Instead, they should be rooted in a narrative aligned with community insights and passion points to drive resonance and memorability,” adds Dyas.

Here’s a look at some other recent brand examples:

EE and Netflix’s Squid Game 2 Launch Experience

Held over three days at the EE Studio in Westfield White City, EE’s partnership with Netflix celebrated the launch of Squid Game's second series. The immersive experience allowed fans to step into the world of the hit South Korean show and compete for prizes, including a limited-edition ‘Game Over’ Xbox controller.

Visitors could also play the newly released Squid Game: Unleashed mobile game, while messaging throughout the space encouraged subscriptions to EE TV—offering bundled access to Netflix and other streaming services in one place.

The 4,500-square-foot activation reflects EE’s evolving approach to consumer engagement, building on previous live experiences such as its collaboration with Xbox to promote the release of Call of Duty: Black Ops 6.

“We saw the attraction that that created, of customers coming into us, really interested in what we do around that particular area, and we've gone quite big into gaming as part of the broader products and services that we offer,” says Asif Aziz, retail director at EE.

“Anything which really creates the excitement and captures the imagination of the population,” he says, is what draws the broadband and technology provider to create an experiential idea, drawing a diverse audience from individuals to families to interact, growing footfall by 155 per cent that weekend.

With EE Guides also on hand to offer tech advice to visitors, including non-EE customers, Aziz believes this strategy to be “the most effective method” of showcasing the networks connectivity and technology.

“We're bringing excitement to customers. We're bringing a greater relevance and presence of ourselves to customers in those experiences. And it is experiences that we want to create,” he adds.

Waitrose’ Chocolate Egg Prank

Knowing that adults love chocolate eggs every bit as much as kids, supermarket chain Waitrose decided to have some fun. Through its agency partner Wonderhood Studios it produced an ‘adults-only’ social Easter campaign fronted by comedian Mo Gilligan and a Big Green Bunny.

Placed at Battersea Power Station, Gilligan hid within the Big Green Bunny and would anyone who could prove they were grown-up enough to deserve an Easter egg. 

The activation went live on social media with posts showing Gilligan inside the Bunny Control Centre, where he was the voice and the man who would push the Big Green Button to activate each egg being released.

“When compared to TV budgets, events or stunts (for want of a better word), are still relatively cost-effective, and there’s a real world measurement metric that is tangible and - literally - visible for clients,” outlines Jo Lumb co-founder and managing partner at Wonderhood Makers. “They also provide multiple opportunities for influencer and owned content as well as PR angles, which of course is always going to get you bang and reach, for your buck.”

She adds that consumers are also demanding more from brand experiences, having seen so many online. “They want to spend their time and money on things that offer them more,” she continues.

“The chase for shares, user generated content and engagement from communities and consumers is getting tougher too, and so there is a growing need to adapt to audiences and make an impression. This also means that, as competition grows, in-person experiences can provide a richer and more memorable connection with the brand,” adds Lumb who sees the Big Green Bunny as an example of an activation that added another layer to Waitrose’s campaign.

Boots’ Beauty Live

“They [experiences] are a great way to bring your brand closer to customers and to build a deeper relationship through something experiential, and for us, with retail media, it’s a good way to get suppliers to engage with audiences too,” explains Boots' chief marketing officer, Pete Markey, of the ongoing appeal.

And in the world of creators, brands see more potential to get the word out beyond the single location where an experience is being held, no longer confined by geography and the follow-up PR outreach.

In February, the health and beauty retailers held Boots Beauty Live in Birmingham, featuring beauty brands, free makeovers, masterclasses, and panel talks from industry experts.  It allowed Boots beauty specialists to offer free makeovers, advice and personalised style tips to visitors who were also able to get up close and personal with their favourite products, trial the best in beauty and learn tips and tricks from industry experts, including makeup artist and founder Mitchell Halliday. Over 750 people were recorded to attend over the six hours of the activation running.

McVitie’s Throws the Chocolate Digestive a 100th Anniversary Party

“This 100th anniversary is not just about a biscuit. It’s a national celebration of every biscuit break, every conversation, and every cherished moment we’ve all shared with McVitie’s Chocolate Digestives over the last century," says Benazir Barlet-Batada, marketing director for McVitie’s Masterbrand.

Alongside a major campaign, created by TBWA\London, the moment was also reflected in an immersive pop-up store - The McVitie’s Chocolate Digestives Experience – which ran over a three-day period, where fans could win unique biscuit-based artwork and limited-edition merch. Visitors were also able to sample an exclusive range of McVitie’s treats, while the company has launched a competition to give away over £100,000. 

The opening of the store was celebrated with a swathe of familiar British faces, including Amanda Holden, Trevor McDonald, Roman Kemp and Dani Dyer.

Situated in Piccadilly, the experience features the Biscuit Bar, where visitors could sample never-before-seen McVitie’s creations made from a range of McVitie’s Digestives.  It also featured a personalisation station where fans could build their own dream McVitie’s Chocolate Digestives with a range of toppings.  

Limited edition branded merch was also available to win via a “spin to win” wheel while visitors could also use the photobooth and check out the giant teacup for those social media snaps to share.

They could also play a game of ‘Choc Up or Choc Down’ – a “four-in-a-row” inspired interactive installation and a gallery of art pieces inspired by – and even made from – McVitie’s Chocolate Digestives.