Award-Winning Cadbury Bus Activation

We had a great evening at the sci-fi themed FMBE Awards 2017...

...and were thrilled to be awarded the Bronze award for our campaign with Jackanory and Cadbury!

Back in March, we collaborated with brand experience agency Jackanory on the launch of a double decker bus activation for Cadbury. The campaign results far exceeded expectations and it was considered a resounding success.

In conjunction with Sainsbury’s, this activation was all about creating brand advocacy for Cadbury, and the public nature of the campaign aimed to deliver a wider experience for brand fans. The campaign stands out as a memorable and inclusive experience for those wanting to engage with Cadbury, and it integrated seamlessly into the wider TV and ATL campaign.

The vehicle needed to be highly eye catching and functional in order to launch this activation and deliver the results the client was after. The double decker bus was treated to a full exterior wrap featuring Cadbury’s campaign branding and messaging. Our award-winning install team took several days to wrap the double decker and implement the detail which included manually cutting out thousands of tiny vents in places (see gallery images below). The hub caps were also painted a striking yellow.

The inside of the bus saw a full conversion which started with a kitchen installation at the rear of the bus. In order to provide the facilities for the team to serve up the Crème Egg treats, we fitted solid oak worktops, a sink with running hot water, a fridge and four microwaves. An awning was constructed on the outside of the bus over the exterior serving hatch.

The bus conversion included the installation of a built in TV screen to provide a ‘digital window’ for a looped film. Promohire also constructed a scramble pit which was later filled with foam cubes and hidden Crème Eggs, which was to feature as one of the games.

Moving up the stairs (which were lined with AstroTurf), the bus came to life as a themed Spotters Hide which was fully clad in wood. All hand rails were wrapped in a foliage style vinyl to complete the look, and finer details such as binoculars and bird boxes were installed by company Fuel4 to further embellish the scene. Promohire constructed benches for use on the upper deck which were finished with a padded purple vinyl top. LED lights were fitted and birdsong can be heard throughout.

In addition to supplying, wrapping and converting the double decker bus, the team at Promohire team is also responsible for the campaign logistics in delivering the bus to its 20 destinations over its 4 week tour.

The tour finishes on the 12th March. Early results demonstrate the campaign is on track to achieve all targets for the brand, and has been received extremely well by Sainsbury’s and the general public.

Definitely one of Promohire’s favourites, this bus conversion was complex and creative. Including a kitchen installation to serve up delicious Crème Egg treats, Snapchat filter walls, a scramble pit activity zone, digital window and various props, this bus was engaging and fun. Most of all however, it delivered real results.

Richard Clark, MD at Promohire commented:

“This campaign is a great example of where a brand has seamlessly integrated an above the line campaign and taken an omni-channel approach. Extending reach, our double decker bus gives Cadbury an opportunity to sample their product and raise awareness in an experiential way.

We’ve pulled all the ‘look and feel’ campaign elements through into the vehicle build to bring the overarching concept to life and create a more memorable inclusive experience for those wanting to engage with the brand”.

Did you see Jackanory's short video of the campaign?