Barilla
BACK TO NATURE LA POP-UP
- Spaces
- Immersive
Following the success of our sunny Back to Nature rebrand, we hit the road (literally) with a joy-packed ‘Snack Stop’ pop up on the Cali coast – which took snackers on a nostalgic trip to a time when life was simple, and snacks were great.
THE IDEA
2023-2024 saw us take on the tasty task of rebranding US snacking giant Back to Nature. The refresh, which spanned across both packaging and comms, offered a snapshot of California sun – and after bringing it to life, we wanted to prove the brand could really go the distance.
To do this, we created a Cali-centric pop up that tapped into the ‘Back to Road Trips’ part of our launch campaign – tuning into all the nostalgia of hitting the road with friends. Inspired by the iconic Route 66, the space featured snack stops crafted to fill visitors up on delicious treats, as well as a drive thru dishing out ‘Happier Meals’. Inside, they got to call shotgun on a nostalgia-fuelled journey jam-packed with souvenirs and Instagrammable moments.
THE JOURNEY
Popping up at the iconic Abbot Kinney, our gas station-inspired space was a trip from start to finish. Outside, a bright, bold shop exterior stood out against the warm Cali sky, while a stylised gas pump and pink convertible Cadillac filled with goodies added a cool photo op for both visitors and passers-by.
Inside the fun continued with our mini mart, which featured delicious packaging-packed walls showcasing a selection of Back to Nature products, as well as shots from our recent LA campaign photoshoot. Throughout the space, props (including a giant Peanut Butter Creme cookies box) tapped into the brand’s new Tone of Voice while providing content for the ‘gram.
The space provided the perfect backdrop for a fun-filled weekend crammed with a variety of activations, including a meet and greet with foodie influencer and author Molly Baz who gave away a signed cookbook and provided curated snacking recipes for the event. Throughout, guests could graze on Back to Nature snacks paired with goodies from our sunshine-loving partners – from the likes of OLIPOP, Goodles, Clevr, Good Culture, Smash Foods, One Trick Pony, Coro Foods, Ayoh Foods, Freestyle Snacks, Malk, Remedy Organics, Alec’s Ice Cream, and Little Sesame.
Moving through the space, visitors were also greeted with a Souvenir Shop, where they could customise their own items to take home, and a claw machine where guests could test their luck for the chance to win more swag or coupons. After this they could move onto our Back to Nature Drive Thru – dishing out bespoke ‘Happier Meals’ stuffed with snacks from partners and other tasty merch.
The event was filled with thousands of product samples, prizes, and branded swag – giving away exclusive merch like live-embroidered towels, customisable fanny packs and t-shirts as well as cookie mugs, coupons, insulated tote coolers, keychains, lip balms, pin badges, postcards, stickers, and a variety of snacks from Back to Nature and partner brands.
Out back, the colour-drenched courtyard tapped into another moment from our launch campaign. The “Back to Beach Days” themed space offered a chill out zone filled with a bar, beach chairs and parasols, for an opportunity to hang out, snack and socialise amongst more super-snappable props.
THE RESULT
After starting the weekend with a VIP influencer event, our pop up was fun fuelled from start to finish. Thanks to over two-thousand public attendees, visitor expectations were exceeded by more than double – garnering attention from ten media outlets and counting.
Over fifty influencers visited, with millions of combined followers viewing the content they shared. This led to hundreds of story and feed posts across social channels over the weekend of the pop up and following. The event was a roaring success that saw us kick the new brand identity right into gear.
