Sampling Archives - Positive Experience

CAWSTON PRESS

Refreshing Summer Roadshow

The Brief in Brief

Cawston Press set out to introduce their new fruit water range to UK families in a playful, refreshing way. They needed to build brand awareness, encourage people to engage with the product, and show up in a format that was made for the summer.

What We Did

We designed and delivered a branded coastal roadshow in Brighton, a key summer destination. Our Cawston Press van acted as a mobile sampling hub, serving up chilled Apple & Mango, Apple & Pear, and Apple & Summer Berries fruit waters. To build engagement, we introduced the “Pick Your Own” concept: an interactive sampling mechanic encouraging guests to choose their flavour from rustic fruit crates and cool boxes. Branded chalkboards, umbrellas and wooden crates brought warmth and informality to the build, while a friendly sampling team kept the vibe fun and family-first. To boost discovery and drive footfall, we offered recipe cards, tote bags, and free temporary tattoos for kids along with bounce-back vouchers to claim a free can with any Wagamama meal.

Why It Worked

We sampled over 8,000 chilled cans to families, passersby and daytrippers. The campaign landed Cawston’s message loud and clear: pressed fruit, shaken up with water, and served with summer vibes all round!

Meatless farm

Automated Plant Machine

The Brief in Brief

Meatless Farm wanted to educate consumers about flexitarian living and do it in a way that felt fresh, fun and proudly plant-based. The brief? Drive trial, create standout visibility, and engage a new wave of curious foodies passing through Boxpark in Shoreditch.

What We Did

We built the world’s first APM (Automated Plant Machine) : a bespoke street-side installation that delivered free Meatless Farm meals at the push of a button. Branded loud and leafy, the vending machine came with a twist, out popped complete meatless meal kits, wrapped in brown bags and green messaging. Pitched as a cheeky take on the classic ATM, the APM challenged people to “Flex Your Thing” a call to swap one meaty meal for a plant-based one each week. The build featured interactive screens, branded crates, witty campaign copy, and surprise-and-delight samples to grab on the go. The activation sat proudly in London’s BOXPARK, drawing footfall from passersby, influencers and curious flexitarians. It made healthy swaps feel easy, fun and Instagram-worthy.

Why It Worked

The APM became a social magnet, generating queue-worthy buzz and national media coverage. Thousands engaged with the installation in just a few days trying plant-based for the first time, tagging friends, and sharing their “plant transaction” online.

MOTH : LICENCE

cocktail cornershop of dreams

The Brief in Brief

MOTH: wanted to build on the buzz of previous PR activations but with a twist. In 2025, the mission was to go regional: introduce the brand to northern consumers, generate fresh PR coverage, and get cocktails into new hands. The task was to design a bold, immersive activation, without compromising on style or spirit.

What We Did

We brought the MOTH: LICENCE to life, a reimagined off-licence pop-up in Manchester’s Northern Quarter. With a sleek black façade, neon signage, and cheeky mock-shop visuals, the space invited passersby in for Passionfruit Martini samples, fortune receipts, polaroid prints, and scratch card fun. Inside, fridges, a tasting bar, DJ setup, and vibrant messaging delivered a bold, immersive brand world. From concept to install, we handled every detail, ensuring a high-impact, sustainable setup. Designed for future rollouts, the activation blended creativity, storytelling and sampling bringing MOTH to new audiences through playful, shareable, and experience-first design.

Why It Worked

In just two days, the MOTH: LICENCE served over 4,500 samples, captured regional press, and sold out all branded merch. The activation attracted new consumers, sparked social buzz, and led to a notable uplift in northern brand awareness and retail interest. Visitors loved the £FREE tastings, cheeky touchpoints, and immersive design resulting in strong organic reach. More than a pop-up, it marked MOTH’s confident northern debut one that’s now primed for future rollouts across other UK regions.

DRISCOLLS BERRY PATCH

DEVOTED TO DELICIOUS

The Brief in Brief

To bring Driscoll’s “Devoted to delicious®” campaign to life, we transformed an empty retail unit on Bateman Street into a vibrant, purpose-driven greengrocer-style pop-up for three flavour-filled days. The aim? To immerse Londoners in the sweet world of Driscoll’s berries and generate buzz around the brand with a standout Soho activation.

What We Did

Working with the Driscoll’s team, we designed and built The Berry Patch – a beautifully crafted berry market complete with crates of colourful fruit, florals, hand-painted signage, and playful touches like a ‘Berry Moment’ photo wall and themed merch giveaways. We ran berry tasting sessions and golden ticket spins, while immersive performers created a real street-side spectacle by handing out samples and drawing in curious passersby.

Why It Worked

In three sunshine-filled days, we served 3,000 berry pots containing a total of 33,000 individual berries – hosted berry pairing sessions that inspired exciting flavour combinations, gave out bags of merch, and crowned three golden ticket winners with hampers of fruity goodness. The result? A joyful brand experience with real impact – sunshine, smiles, and berry moments that left Soho sweet on Driscoll’s.

BARCODE 2025

Six Brands. One Epic Barcode.

The Brief in Brief

Barcode Festival is the place to be for FMCG brands who want to make noise with the people who matter ; buyers, retail leads and industry insiders. For the 2025 edition, we returned as long-time partners to help six purpose-led brands make a statement: Moju, Tenzing, Hu, Deli Kitchen, Proper Job and Kitchen Joy. Each brand needed to stand out in a festival environment that’s as competitive as it is fun.

What We Did

We brought six unique activations to life across the Barcode site, each tailored to the brand’s personality but all powered by one thing: smart reuse. Every build was a rollout or evolution of an existing set we store for our clients, giving them maximum impact with minimal footprint. Think: bold graphics, adaptable builds, high energy and zero compromise on creativity. From sampling stations to chill-out spots, we matched each experience to the vibe of the brand and the pace of the festival.

Why It Worked

Whether it was Hu’s eye-catching set-up driving trial with clean snacking, Moju’s dose of gut health energy, or Deli Kitchen’s crowd-pleasing wraps, each brand walked away with the exposure they needed and an experience that felt truly them. And by using modular builds already in our warehouse, we kept waste down and value up another win for our planet-positive approach.

OATLY LONDON COFFEE FESTIVAL 25

Ice-Cold Style, Oat-Fuelled Buzz

The Brief in Brief

For London Coffee Festival 2025, Oatly wanted a main-stage moment, something that felt bold, playful, and visually striking. The goal? Showcase their latest campaign in a way that stopped people mid-sip and made them rethink oat-based drinks.

What We Did

We transformed Oatly’s stand into an immersive icy experience complete with frosted wavy plastic walls, digital thermometers displaying a chilly -23°, butcher strip curtains, and literal ice cube seating. Every design detail, from the aluminium plate finishes to the signature drinks menu, leaned into the frozen fantasy. We even covered all joins and seams with custom-printed boards to keep the aesthetic seamless.

Why It Worked

The booth was more than just a visual showstopper it was a physical embodiment of Oatly’s irreverent, boundary-pushing brand personality. Festival-goers queued for the cool-factor alone, while product sampling and content creation naturally followed. It felt different, delicious, and very Oatly earning stand-out buzz across the event floor.

BUDVAR

Republic of Beer

The Brief in Brief

We were challenged to create a Czech-inspired sensory escape with Budvar in the heart of London. Budvar wanted to bring the playful philosophy of the Czech Republic to London an experiential campaign that brought their "Republic of Beer" to life. The goal? Elevate brand love and trial in a crowded market through a high-impact sampling activation that felt as joyful and unexpected as beer growing on trees.

What We Did

We transformed an urban green space into an idyllic Budvar republic complete with a 3.5m tall beer-bearing tree, immersive signage, chilled cans ready to pluck, and seating to encourage dwell time. A branded billboard framed the activation while our team of brand ambassadors handed out samples and postcards guiding guests to local stockists via QR codes. Everything was managed by us from design and build to licensing, security, and sustainability.

Why It Worked

We delivered more than just free beer, we delivered wonder. Over two days, thousands of cans were sampled, social buzz exploded, and passersby were pulled into the moment. By blending storytelling with standout design, Budvar’s Republic of Beer didn’t just show up, it became the talk of the town.

PACT COFFEE

Polo in the Park

The Brief in Brief

We created a premium modular event space for fellow B Corp Pact Coffee that could flex across multiple events, starting with its debut at Polo in the Park. Pact Coffee needed a beautiful, bold setup to match their mission, better coffee for people and planet. They wanted a structure that was sleek and scalable, capable of being reconfigured for multiple events and spaces while holding true to their quality-driven identity.

What We Did

We designed a modular build system with simple, flat-pack panels and framing that allowed for multiple layout options and fast installation. The structure landed its first outing at Polo in the Park, where it held its own among the luxury experiences. From backdrops and counters to cut lettering and fully branded dressing, we delivered a sleek and sustainable setup that packed down just as smoothly as it went up.

Why It Worked

The build aligned perfectly with Pact’s values ;conscious design, clever use of materials, and a standout presence in premium spaces. With a constant stream of guests, the success at Polo in the Park sets the tone for a summer of confident activations.

OATLY SOFTSERVE TOUR

The Ice Cream Truck Goes Plant-Based

The Brief in Brief

Oatly had something new to share: a creamy, craveable plant-based soft serve. The goal was to get it into hands, mouths, and minds across the UK, driving hype and trial in a way that felt fun, fresh, and unmistakably Oatly. Create a branded sampling truck that could hit both day and night hotspots. It needed to be mobile, memorable, and versatile enough for festivals, city centres, and everything in between.

What We Did

We launched a custom Oatly Soft Serve Truck, serving plant-based soft serve and oat coffees on a four-week UK tour. Following the route of a traditional ice cream van (minus the dairy), the truck travelled across the North, South, East, and West. Key stops included central Leeds and Manchester, Scarborough beach, a week-long takeover at Somerset House, Margate Dreamland, Brighton beach, Cornwall’s Lusty Glaze and Watergate Bay, and Weston-super-Mare, finishing in Bristol. With bold branding, neon signage, and a joy-fuelled menu, the truck turned heads and drew crowds, handing out over 20,000 samples.

Why It Worked

The Soft Serve Truck didn’t just sample a product, it created a moment. It showed up where people were ready to indulge, delivered instant impact, and let the soft serve do the talking. Whether on the beach or in the city, Oatly brought plant-based joy to every stop. The setup was simple, scalable, and built to last, making the truck ready to roll into future campaigns with ease.

XOXO at LCF

Self-Love Served Ice Cold.

The Brief in Brief

XOXO wanted to make a bold entrance into the coffee and indie scene with fizz, fun, and fierce self-expression. As a new player in a crowded space, they needed an experience that would turn heads, drive sampling, spark social shares, and get people saying (and sipping) XOXO. The experience had to pop in a high-energy festival setting, encourage trial, and build emotional connections with content baked into every touchpoint and all elements designed for reuse across future campaigns.

What We Did

We created a vibrant, reusable stand packed with interactive moments from affirmation art and neon selfie zones to arcade games, live nail art, and ice-cold sampling, all designed to bring XOXO’s bold self-love energy to life. With a lean, reusable build and a flexible setup, the entire activation was designed to go again, ready to pop up at future festivals, trade shows, and sampling moments.

Why It Worked

The XOXO stand embodied the spirit of the brand: fun, fearless, and unapologetically bold. By centring the experience on interaction, affirmation, and self-expression, we created more than just a sampling moment, we created a vibe. It wasn’t just about handing out cans. It was about creating connections, driving real engagement, and giving people something to remember (and repost). With high content capture and even higher energy, this was XOXO’s perfect debut in the indie coffee scene and a love letter to everyone who stopped by.