31,956 people, 377,460 samples, three weekends of (sweltering hot) festival energy. Backstage with Dove brought a sweet, sweet, showgirl-inspired escape for festival-goers at British Summer Time Festival in Hyde Park. Escaping London’s 35°, visitors came to refresh, get glam, and discover a new realm of freshness with Dove’s new Whole Body range.
Now, if this is your first time meeting us (hi!) you’ll seldom catch us planning a traditional sampling activation that consists purely of handing out samples, and Dove is always down for a fun activation!
Dove wanted to launch its new Whole Body range memorably, with extensive reach. Our task was to drive product education and trial, while prompting a new +1 shopper behaviour: making Whole Body deodorant a part of the everyday routine.
Where’s the cultural link for connecting with women at a moment where getting ready, looking good, and feeling confident are already part of the experience? Festivals, of course.
So, with summer festivals as the backdrop, the aim was to make Dove Whole Body feel like a natural part of that moment.
Backstage with Dove turned the classic showgirl dressing room into a sanctuary for getting festival-ready.
With a theatrical facade, vanity stations, styling nooks, candy floss, and plenty of hands-on and educational moments with the new range. Guests discovered the scent range, received personalised product recommendations, tried the range and took home a few samples for good measure… and not forgetting, they finished their looks with body gems and diamantes before heading back into BST Hyde Park.
The Backstage with Dove pop-up was built around one idea: smell beautiful everywhere. All touchpoints linked back to the product's benefits, without making the space feel like one giant product demo.
The execution was a premium theatre-style structure that stood out in the busy BST environment. The 11m x 5m facade grabbed attention from across the fields, while the inside moved guests through a journey of discovery, to trial, to getting festival-ready.
Our dedicated event brand ambassadors delivered personalised 1:1 consultations at the vanity stations, talking guests through the range and inviting them to try it for themselves. From there, guests got styled with body gems, grabbed an instagrammable candy floss, and hit the photobooth to show off their new looks.
The experience ran across three consecutive weekends, giving Dove a presence across a run of major festival performances including Maroon 5, Mumford & Sons, Lewis Capaldi, and Pitbull. Yes, thousands of bald caps also made their way through the doors.
Going beyond the festival itself, Dove partnered with American Express, putting 2,700 Dove products inside picnic hampers for Amex holders.
As ever, the build had to look as perfect in reality as it did in the renders. Premium finishes, particularly across the front façade, helped give the experience a polished, festival-worthy feel, while durable assets created opportunities for reuse across future Unilever activations.
Our event build and fabrication partner, Bearded Kitten Studios, managed the creative fabrication, install, de-rig, and remained on-site for its three-weekend run for prompt action if needed.
Backstage with Dove attracted 31,956 visits across the three weekends, with a WHOPPING 377,460 product samples distributed across the activation. The photo booth was also a consistent draw, generating 22,369 interactions and plenty of shareable content.
The experience also delivered 3,600 candy floss giveaways, 5 competition winners and 2,685 marketing opt-ins.
Most importantly, the audience had high praise. With guest feedbad including;
“It’s absolutely beautiful in here” to “This whole body deo is perfect”, showing strong enthusiam for the product and the experience.
The result was a premium, highly shareable festival experience that gave Dove Whole Body a distinctive place in the getting-ready ritual, while get the new line into the hands and routines of its intended audience.
