June Retail Highlights

AliExpress Scores with Beckham

“AliExpress has strategically partnered with one of the most recognisable English footballers, David Beckham. His renowned status in football and global stardom lends a sense of reliability and quality to AliExpress, a relatively unknown retailer in the Western market. The ‘Shake & Win’ mechanic is straightforward, making it easy for consumers to engage once Beckham has pulled them in.” - GC View

Global e-commerce giant AliExpress, owned by Alibaba, is an official partner of UEFA Euro 2024 and has signed David Beckham as their new global ambassador.

• AliExpress is aiming to enhance the global viewing experience by offering fans winning moments during the Euros
• Fans are encouraged to download the AliExpress app and participate in the ‘Shake & Win’ promotion
• Every goal scored in any match provides a chance for lucky visitors to snag exciting prize such as Euro tickets, football branded collateral and discount codes

Not so Lidl Partnership

“Loyalty is key to retailer's success in driving shoppers back into store. This is a lovely example of gamification which is cleverly aligned with Lidl's Euro 2024 sponsorship, with the added chance to win Euro's tickets, providing a rich prize pool to engage consumers. I expect to see loyalty + gamification on the rise across all retailers in the near future.” - GC View

Lidl is the official fresh food partner of UEFA Euro 2024 and has kicked started its sponsorship with a new brand platform – ‘We’re on your team'.

• All Lidl customers will be eligible to play with ‘Shop & Shoot’ penalty shoot-out scheme with the Lidl Plus app
• Customers are encouraged to scan their Lidl Plus app at checkout where they are instantly entered into the free penalty shootout game for a chance to win digital discount reward coupons
• The ‘We’re on your Team’ campaign is further supported in store, online and across social media

Pop & Play Poptopia

“A super slick browser-based game experience. Lots of games to choose from, all beautifully designed with crisp illustrations and engaging animations. Progress your way through the games for a chance to win a holiday. Good fun and well executed with stand-out on-pack artwork.” - GC View

Pringles enthusiasts can dive into Poptopia, a Pringles playground, digital destination and game series offering exclusive brand content to consumers

• The on-pack QR code promotion provides an interactive journey to Poptopia with a series of fun, immersive and engaging experiences 
• Cashing in on the football frenzy with a football themed promotion; offering the chance to win a dream holiday
• Limited edition packs have been taking prime position, with POS featuring a ‘text to win’ promotion with a chance to Meet and Greet England star Micah Richards

Footy's Getting Saucy!

“Oddly, there is a lack of Euros activation in store due to the official rights being so well protected. Great to see Hellmann’s making the most of what will be a very expensive sponsorship. Right place, right time, right message.” - GC View

Official BBQ partner of UEFA Euros 2024, Hellmann’s is leveraging the hosting occasion with a full TTL campaign.

• The activation is part of a wider European marketing campaign ‘Up Your Game’, and features digital screens encased in giant Hellmann’s bottles placed at rail stations throughout the UK
• The ‘Text to Win’ promotion features brand ambassador Jack Grealish, and provides football enthusiasts the chance to win UEFA Euro final tickets
• A separate tailormade promotion encouraged consumers to scan a QR code in Tesco stores and upload their most creative Hellmann’s sandwich to win

No Walkers, No Game

“Walkers ticked all the boxes with its summer football promotion! The limited edition packs featuring football legends were sure to fly off shelves, enabling consumers with a chance to win every 90 minutes, a promotion which kept everyone glued to the matches and reaching for more Walkers! The support from the OOH campaign ensured Walkers were impossible to miss during peak season.” - GC View

Walkers is celebrating the summer of football by giving consumers the chance to ‘Win £500 every 90 minutes’.

• As part of its brand partnership with UEFA, Walkers has launched limited edition packs featuring footballing legends such as Thierry Henry and David Beckham
• Limited edition promotional packs will be available nationwide, encouraging shoppers to purchase, scan the QR code, and enter their details for a chance to win
• Walkers has launched an extensive supporting OOH campaign, including a brand takeover of Wembley, with the aim of reinforcing its brand presence and association to the most-watched sporting events of the year

Pitching for Profits

“Great to see wholesalers getting behind the excitement and atmosphere of football season. This kind of campaign drives brilliant footfall to depots and helps energise retailers with their own in store promotions.” - GC View

Bestway offers the chance to ‘score big this Euros’ with its ‘Pitch to Profits’ campaign.

• Seen across all its nationwide depots; Bestway is encouraging retailers to choose them as the number one choice when shopping for Euros products
• Store-goers can enter immersive POS which takes the form of a football stadium entrance tunnel and football pitch display; created to house deals on offer for the Euros
• Retailers also stand the chance to win depot credit, event tickets and merchandise

England 'til I Died

“This is a powerful and emotive campaign by the British Heart Foundation, cleverly using a theme that unites the country. Using the passion of football combined with real-life stories is thought-provoking and hard to ignore. Hopefully, the murals will spark conversations and encourage people to donate towards research.” - GC View

British Heart Foundation launched a campaign for Euro 2024 that plays on the fan chant “England ‘til I die”.

• 12 hand-painted murals were created across the UK, depicting young football fans who died early from heart disease
• The campaign coincides with the start of the Euros 2024, and aims to raise awareness of the need for urgent funding into research for sudden cardiac death
• ‘England ‘til I died’ will extend across social media and radio

Multilingual Ref Slander

“Imagine a stadium full of football supporters chanting “Should’ve gone to Specsavers!” in their own language as the game is televised at home. The reach, if this works, could be massive." - GC View

One of the UK most well-known and iconic brand slogans ‘Should’ve gone to Specsavers!’ has gone international to mark the start of the Euros.

• The 20-year-old slogan frames a multilingual campaign created to help competing nations prepare themselves for any ‘dodgy’ refereeing decisions
• According to the brand, the translations will be in each participating country’s language so that fans have the chance to shout, cry or scream ‘Should’ve gone to Specsavers’ in their mother tongue
• The campaign is supported by OOH and newspaper advertisements nationwide

Half-time Euros Roundup

Football continues to dominate, with multiple brands activating their Euros sponsorships in store, or aligning unofficially.

Pick Up a Purple & WIN!

"A unique promotion that will certainly increase both Diet Coke purchases and number of Nectar card loyalty members. It is great to see the contrast from the usual silver Diet Coke can, and this unexpected colour displayed on the explosive FSDU will make shoppers look twice.” - GC View

Sainsbury’s have teamed up with Coca-Cola for an exclusive Diet Coke promotion. The campaign offers a large discount as well as the chance to find 100 hidden, limited edition 'Nectar Purple' cans.

• Nectar customers who find a lucky 'Nectar Purple’ hidden in 24-can packs throughout participating stores will score £100 worth of Nectar points
• Consumers can spend their points online or in-store at Argos and Sainsbury's, or convert them into Avios points for their next travel adventure

Win Loaves of Holidays!

“In promotional prizes, cash reigns supreme, but holidays are a close second, especially for parent-focused campaigns. The forest holiday communication strategy is well-executed, effectively targeting the intended audience. Additionally, the real-time golden loaf tracker is a smart addition, reinforcing the authenticity and excitement of winning prizes. Overall, a good promotion!” - GC View

Soreen has teamed up with Forest Holidays; offering consumers the chance to unwrap some summer adventures and win 1 of 10 Family Getaways.

• The scan to claim on pack promotion runs across four flavours and provides a £60 off voucher for every consumer to use to book their next forest adventure through Forest Holidays
• 10 x limited edition ‘Golden’ Lunchbox Loaves can  be found to claim the top prizes with a live website meter tracking how many have been found so far

Father's Day Roundup

There was plenty of options to spoil dads this Father's Day. Retailers had some hugely impactful creative and POS in store to drive premium products.

Reminiscing Over a Pint

“You can tell it’s Beavertown straight away from the fun, unique and consistent branding. The promotion has a nice theme of sharing tales, offers a good set of prizes, is delivered in the ideal location for their consumers, and is well supported across TV, OOH, digital, podcasts and trade activations. The beer is pretty good too!” - GC View

Beavertown is giving pub-goers the chance to win the ultimate night out, and only for the price of a pint!

• Consumers are encouraged to share their top night out stories at participating pubs nationwide
• To enter, they will need to buy a pint of Beavertown to claim an instant win card from the bar, where they can scan the QR code to enter details and upload a video
• Prizes include £100 pub nights out & merchandise including t-shirts and tote bags
• Supported nationwide across TV, OOH, digital, podcasts and bespoke trade activations

Whimsical Whisky Spectacular

“What a fun, unexpected and eye-catching campaign for Ardbeg. The circus theme blends playful modernity with nostalgic vintage flair, promising a flavourful experience in the heart of London!” - GC View

World renowned whisky distillery Ardbeg, is bringing the circus to town to launch its limited edition blend, Ardbeg Spectacular.

• In celebration of Ardbeg Day (created by the brand to celebrate all things Ardbeg), whisky lovers are invited to take part in an immersive, dark-themed circus experience in London's iconic Brick lane 
• The ticketed event will entertain guests with acrobats, showmen and more theatrical activities. Prizes will be awarded to the best dressed attendees in circus attire
• Tickets include admission and two cocktails. Ardbeg merchandise can also be purchased at the event

Aperidisco This Summer!

“This activation is so fun! It is refreshing to see brands engage with its audience in exciting and unique ways that are tailored to the age demographic. Aperol designed a space which invited people to sing, dance and enjoy the drink of the summer – creating a lasting memory from the experience.” - GC View

Aperol continues to be the drink of choice for summer by bringing back its popular Aperidisco in Southwest London.

• Aperol Spritz hosted an al fresco Italian disco at Battersea Power Station; celebrating the renovation of the iconic London landmark 
• Free activities included a dedicated pop-up bar, dance floor with midday disco yoga, glitter makeup stations, karaoke booths, quizzes and live DJ sets, plus the chance to learn how to DJ yourself
• Aperol Spritz masterclasses and Italian food offering completed the authentic Italian disco experience

Sensory Shower in South Bank

“Dove's sensory shower campaign on The South Bank boosts brand awareness and engagement through a unique experience. Featuring influencer Maddie Grace Jepson, it offers free samples, encouraging word-of-mouth marketing and media coverage. Integrated with a £10m media campaign, it showcases innovation and captures valuable consumer insights, fostering brand loyalty." - GC View

Dove is inviting Londoners to explore the senses and ‘take a shower’ on The South Bank to promote its new range.

• The pop up will feature an interactive sensory shower promoting the products latest technology, plus branded product giveaways, such as bath robes and samples
• The event will be attended by Dove influencer Maddie Grace Jepson; she will capture vox pops and hand out free samples to passersby
• The launch of Dove Advanced Care Body Wash will  be supported by a media campaign worth over £10 million, with TV adverts, social media content, OOH, and in-store activations

Mythical Mayhem

"Ai is an increasing asset in the world of marketing, so it is interesting to see a real-life installation that also has an Ai element. The Kraken has done some really cool activations in the past and this is no different. It is eye-catching and has a shock factor making it a successful activation to drive engagement.” - GC View

Rum brand The Kraken has created a splash with a new attention-grabbing installation; depicting the mythical sea monster bursting from the ground in Leicester Square.

• Followers were asked to snap a photo of the Kraken to receive a special voucher for two-for-one Kraken Perfect Storm cocktails at the All Bar One nearby
• The installation was supported by a social media campaign featuring a series of fake news bulletins showing the beast’s rampage across the UK
• Computer generated imagery showed fictional attacks on famous UK landmarks: Brighton Pier, Birmingham’s Bull Ring and The Duke of Wellington statue in Glasgow

Believe in Chicken

“The cool thing about this campaign is that the new typeface contains a script that tweaks each character’s edges with every keystroke, so no two letters are the same – just like no two pieces of chicken! I do wish those changes were a bit less subtle, though!” - GC View

In a world full of political confusion, KFC is offering comfort, respite and predictability. Its new ‘Believe in Chicken’ campaign is reassuring consumers that they can always count on KFC.

• The arresting chicken ads kicked off at the start of the Euros and were supported with mysterious teaser ads marking the first phase of the brand relaunch
• A new typeface, Original Recipe, is also being debuted, which will serve as the new display font for KFC in the UK and Ireland
• The campaign will be rolled out across TV, cinema, digital, social and the on-trade