In this series, Agency Correspondent Heather Nicholls takes you behind the scenes of some of the most compelling brand activations and events.
In the fourteenth edition, we meet Verve, the agency behind Diageo‘s summer festival campaigns for brands like Casamigos, Johnnie Walker, Captain Morgan, Smirnoff and Guinness.
The brief:
Verve was appointed to support Diageo’s portfolio of brands across the UK and Ireland’s leading summer festivals. The objective was to create memorable experiences that would elevate each brand’s presence and make an impact on the festival-goer.
The remit was extensive, spanning the creation of immersive activation spaces, management of bar operations and logistics, and ensuring brand visibility at scale. Each activation needed to feel unique to its audience, while maintaining consistency with Diageo’s overall brand ethos.
The execution:
Each brand came to Verve with its own objectives and KPIs. Verve looked closely at the audience demographics and the music genres associated with each festival, then factored in current trends to determine what festival-goers actually want to experience. Verve’s senior account director, Hope O’Sullivan said: “This ensured every activation felt both on-brand and culturally relevant.”
As Verve was working with multiple brands for this project, the development process was complicated. Verve started with creative planning, focusing on designing builds that were functional, immersive and eye-catching. Verve researched on-trend activations that were suited to each brand’s audience and the festival environment.
Logistics were a major focus, with Verve working hand-in-hand with promoters like Live Nation, AEG and Superstruct. The agency had to manage everything from bar operations to designing branded cups. Health and safety, staffing, training – Verve had to take a full-spectrum approach.
“At this scale, collaboration is everything,” O’Sullivan said. “We worked extremely closely with Diageo at every stage of planning to ensure alignment with their objectives. Our suppliers effectively became part of the team, often putting in long days and weekends on-site alongside us. We also maintained close relationships with festival promoters to ensure every aspect, from build to service, met the standards of all parties.”
The result:
O’Sullivan said: “The summer was a resounding success. Building on Diageo’s initial foray into the festival scene last year, this season saw measurable growth in brand presence and consumer engagement. Each brand not only “showed up” but stood out, generating high interaction rates, memorable experiences, and increased product visibility.”
She added: “The activations delivered strong results for Diageo’s brands. Across the summer, we achieved significant increases in on-site product trial and purchase, elevated brand perception among festival-goers, and boosted social engagement around the activations. Each brand built stronger visibility within the festival circuit, cementing their position as must-visit destinations.”
Festival audiences described the spaces as “stand-out” and “must-visit”. They praised the atmosphere, the service and the sense of discovery built into each activation. O’Sullivan added: “The Diageo team highlighted execution and delivery, management, and H&S compliance as key standouts, all of which contributed to strong KPI fulfilment.”
She concluded: “This project underscored the importance of early, detailed planning and deep collaboration with promoters, suppliers, and the client team. We also learned the value of designing flexible builds that can adapt to different festival footprints without losing brand identity. These insights will help us push the boundaries even further in future festival seasons.”
