Barefoot Wine & Bubbly is again running its successful #BareYourSole roadshow campaign across the UK during July. Now in its third year, the activity, which sees a Barefoot van travel the country, encourages people to be proud to be different and to revel in their uniqueness.

Research by the award-winning wine brand has revealed that 84% of Brits believe that being comfortable with who you are and being accepted for your true-self ultimately makes you happier.

Visitors to the Barefoot van will not only get the chance to try a range of the brand’s wines, but will also be invited to ‘bare their sole’ by proudly declaring their unusual hobbies, habits or passions on a Barefoot sticker – and the more unusual, the better!

The #BareYourSole tour will visit a range of locations between 4 and 29 July, including Liverpool, Leamington Spa, Manchester, London, Oxford, Brighton, Coventry, Bristol, Cardiff, Cheltenham and Birmingham.

The activity was created by global brand experience agency Sense, which is again running the campaign. Ciara Garratt, Account Manager at Sense, says: “Launched in 2016, Bare Your Sole champion’s Barefoot’s core values of diversity and inclusivity by encouraging people to share their hidden passions and celebrate each other’s quirks. Barefoot want to remove any pretentiousness surrounding wine and make it more fun and less serious. The concept has worked so well that we’re proud to be rolling it out for a third year in succession celebrating the fact that people feel happier when they are comfortable in their own skin and free to express themselves.”

Sense is an award-winning marketing agency that specialises in helping brands do exciting things in the real world, to create authentic communications across the marketing spectrum. It manages campaigns from strategy to evaluation.

Barefoot Wine & Bubbly started up in California in the 1960s. Its founders believed that wine should be more fun and less serious; and created a wine that could be enjoyed by everyone from first-time wine drinkers to hard-core aficionados. Barefoot Wine is the most awarded and #1 wine brand in the US and was introduced to the UK in 2009. Staying true to its grassroots beginnings, Barefoot Wine & Bubbly gives back to local non-profit groups through charitable wine donations. In addition to several years of cleaning British beaches with Surfers Against Sewage, Barefoot Wine & Bubbly has also supported the LGBT community for over 25 years.

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Skin care brand NIVEA has created ‘Shower Empowered’, an immersive ‘shower karaoke’ experience, as part of its partnership with Cancer Research UK’s Race for Life.

The campaign will drive awareness of NIVEA’s shower and body care ranges by engaging consumers in a fun, lively and celebratory experience, put together by creative agency Space.

To bring the campaign to life, Space has built a huge portable (water-free) shower unit and is inviting both participants and supporters to celebrate their achievements by getting into the shower and belting out a specially curated list of empowering songs – such as Cyndi Lauper’s Girls Just Wanna Have Fun and Queen’s Don’t Stop Me Now.

Participants will sing into microphones specially designed to look like NIVEA shower bottles while photographs are taken of their performances. After performing, everyone who takes part will receive a NIVEA sample bag and coupon. They will also be given a QR code flyer which they can use to find their photo from the experience.

Claire Marlow, brand manager at NIVEA, says; “Race for Life are fantastic events that raise money to help fund research into over 200 types of cancer. We wanted to add some extra celebration and feeling of empowerment for people taking part. And a mass shower karaoke felt like the perfect way to give participants and supporters a day to remember and the chance to sing their hearts out.”

David Atkinson, managing partner at Space, adds; “We’re all extremely proud to have created an experience that not only celebrates Race for Life but also enables the NIVEA brand to add to the day. The events are already a collective experience and our ‘Shower Empowered’ activation extends this.”

The first empowered shower took place at Crystal Palace on Sunday June 10^th, with people jumping into the shower after crossing the finish line. It will now travel to Race for Life events in Birmingham, Cardiff, Exeter, York, and Edinburgh. It will reach an estimated 30,000 participants this summer.

NIVEA has a long-standing relationship with Cancer Research UK through its sun cream brands. They first worked together in 2012 with the aim of raising millions for the charity’s life-saving research, specifically supporting skin cancer research. This campaign is the first time NIVEA’s broader range of shower and bodycare products have been involved.

Nivea is a personal care brand owned by the German company Beiersdorf Global AG.

Space is an award-winning integrated marketing agency which works across social, mobile, outdoor, in store, on-pack, in print, live or virtually. Clients include Heineken, Arla Foods, William Grant & Sons, General Mills, Eurostar, Sky, Coral, Bundesliga, UEFA, NBA and AELTC. Our work has been globally recognised with four ‘best in the world’ awards.

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Eco-cleaning pioneers Ecover is opening London’s first Rubbish Café Thursday 3rd May in Covent Garden. The Ecover Rubbish Café is currency free, only accepting recyclable plastic as payment, and will serve a zero-waste menu from eco-chef Tom Hunt.

It will be kitted out with a stylish upcycled décor inspired by eco-designer Max McMurdo and consumers will be invited to learn how to #LiveClean while they lunch in sumptuously upcycled surroundings. The two-day pop-up will serve up inspiration and ideas for simple swaps everyone can make to reduce, reuse and recycle plastic.

The Rubbish Café celebrates the arrival of Ecover’s new washing-up liquid range which comes in a new 100% recycled and 100% recyclable bottle. Free re-fills of washing-up liquid will be available – consumers simply have to bring along any old bottle.

The menu created by Tom Hunt, eco-chef and author of The Natural Cook includes:

• The Revolution Bowl – Spelt and rye grains with red kale, cranberries, hazelnuts, beetroot soya-yoghurt, roasted rhubarb and a pickled hen’s egg;
• The Mother Nature Bowl – Wild turmeric rice, cauliflower and leaves, golden sultanas, coriander, chaat masala, coconut (vegan);
• The Rubbish Bowl – Puy lentil salad with sprouting broccoli, dried apple, wild garlic pesto, pink peppercorns, feta and seaweed;
• Banana bread – made from saved bananas.

The vegetarian and vegan bowl food options will be served on a first come, first serve basis to ensure nothing goes to waste.

Consumers will also be able to swap their plastic for a coffee provided by Over Under.

Ecover says it is waging a war against plastic pollution. It believes that using plastic for a single-use is fundamentally wrong. In 2016 less than half of all plastic bottles were collected for recycling and only 7% of those were turned into new bottles. The resulting impact on waterways and marine life is horrifying with an estimated 12.7 million tonnes ending up in oceans each year.

Ecover’s mission is to challenge the perception that ‘rubbish’ has no value, encouraging people to consider their own plastic use and how they can make small positive changes to reduce their impact on the environment.

Ecover also leads by example – the Rubbish Café marks the launch of Ecover’s first 100% post-consumer recycled and 100% recyclable plastic washing-up liquid bottle, which has a 70% lower carbon footprint than a virgin plastic bottle.

Tom Domen, Global Innovation Lead at Ecover says: “We’ve been fighting for a greener clean at Ecover for the past 40 years. We believe that single-use, throwaway plastic culture has had its day. So, we’ve given our plastic packaging a serious rethink. Our new washing-up liquid bottle is 100% recycled and 100% recyclable – with a commitment that all our bottles will go this way by 2020. The Rubbish Café is part of our Clean World Revolution… to show the public the incredible value of putting plastics back into the recycling system to help close the loop on plastic production, minimising the amount of new plastic that is created. So besides serving up fantastic sustainable food at The Rubbish Cafe, we’ll be revealing small steps we can all make to benefit our environment so more can pledge to #LiveClean”.

Ecover is one of the largest producers of ecological cleaning products in Europe. Founded 39 years ago in Malle, Belgium, Ecover was among the first to put phosphate-free washing powder on the market which were only banned in 2013. With a rebellious spirit, experience and clever science, Ecover has developed vegan-friendly cleaning products with plant-based and mineral ingredients that help consumers clean their homes with great efficiency and minimal impact on our environment. These products are available in around 40 countries and Ecover’s contribution to the environment over time has been recognised by Time Magazine and the United Nations Environment Programme.

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Diageo-owned global vodka brand Smirnoff is working with music streaming platform Spotify to promote equality for women musicians around the world through the launch of its new Smirnoff Equalizer campaign, which features an app that allows Spotify subscribers to analyse their playlists and find out what the balance between male and female artists is.

According to Spotify data, none of the top 10 most-streamed tracks in 2017 were performed by women artists or bands, which is why the vodka brand and the music service have teamed up.

The Smirnoff Equalizer analyses Spotify users’ listening habits to provide them with a percentage breakdown of the number of men versus women artists they have listened to in the previous six months before providing an equalized playlist tailored just for them, where artists of both genders are equally represented.

Users can also make use of a personalised slider, which allows them to increase the number of women artists in their playlists. The innovative platform was debuted at Smirnoff’s “Phenomenal You” launch event, held on March 1^st, 2018 in New York City, one week before International Women’s Day.

Neil Shah, Smirnoff Global Senior Brand Manager, says: “We developed the Smirnoff Equalizer in partnership with Spotify because we believe that when we get to discover talented women artists and their phenomenal music, we’ll all have a better listening experience. The Smirnoff Equalizer not only drives awareness, but also allows Spotify users to take direct action by increasing the number of tracks from women artists in their playlists.”

The goal behind the Smirnoff Equalizer is to get more people listening to more women artists. The bigger their fan bases become, the more opportunities they will have to perform and succeed. The Smirnoff Equalizer platform will run through the summer and can be accessed by Spotify users of a legal drinking age in the United States, Great Britain, Ireland, Australia, Mexico and Argentina.

One of the artists featured in the Smirnoff Equalizer is Honey Dijon, an African-American transgender woman who is a vocal advocate for LGBTQ+ and women’s rights and highly respected for her musical heritage and curated DJ sets that defy genres. She will appear in the platform to share her experiences facing gender bias in the music industry.

The Smirnoff Equalizer is the latest initiative from Smirnoff’s “Equalizing Music” campaign, which the brand announced in 2017 with the goal of doubling the number of women festival headliners by 2020. As an extension of this effort, Smirnoff has also partnered with Global Radio and Live Nation to equalize festival line-ups across Europe with performances by women DJs.

“We are very proud that Smirnoff once again chose Spotify as its brand partner for the ‘Equalizing Music’ campaign,” said Danielle Lee, Vice President, Global Head of Partner Solutions at Spotify. “We share Smirnoff’s goal to improve gender diversity in music, and for all the artists, songwriters and producers who create it.”

The launch event for the new API in New York City was themed around “Phenomenal You” with Smirnoff encouraging each woman to celebrate the inherent power of women across the world, starting with themselves.

At the event, Smirnoff unveiled new special edition “Phenomenal You” bottles for Smirnoff No. 21 vodka which are being gifted to 100 phenomenal women around the world, along with a donation made in each of their names to She Runs It, a charity which helps women move into leadership roles.

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Persil UK has been encouraging families in London to get outdoors and active to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the launch of the brand’s ‘Dirt is Good’ marketing platform with ‘Get Out Here’, a Digital Out Of Home (DOOH) activation delivering content triggered by the weather in real-time.

Running on Ocean’s full motion Eat Street screen at Westfield London, the campaign uses live weather data to trigger video content allowing the display to show current temperatures, weather conditions and the walking distance to Holland Park, their nearest source of outdoor fun.

Families can connect to the screen’s Wi-Fi to access a map and directions to the park, which is a short walk from the shopping centre.

Get Out Here reflects Persil’s commitment to get families outdoors and embrace dirt. The brand cites consumer research which reveals that dogs are five times more likely to be taken out to the park than children – and that only one in three kids has ever climbed a tree.

Created by MullenLowe London, Get Out Here was one of the commercial winners of Ocean Outdoor’s eighth annual digital creative competition, which aims to reward great creative concepts that push the boundaries of digital out of home (DOOH) advertising.

Video footage on the screen will also include a dynamic count of fun activities families can enjoy in the 22.5 hectare park, including the number of birds to count, muddy puddles to jump in and snowmen to build.

The idea is that families will break out of the urban jungle to experience the freedom of the real outdoors like kids used to, playing on Persil’s 10th anniversary of “Dirt is Good.” The campaign broke on March 1st 2018 and runs for two weeks.

Jennifer King, Senior Brand Manager for Persil UK, says: “Families love getting outdoors but we know that life can get in the way. This is an innovative way to nudge us all to embrace the outdoors and make more happy memories.”

Alex Okada, Global Executive Creative Director for Dirt is Good, adds: “Sometimes we are so immersed in our busy lives, distracted by the always on digital world that we don’t stop to think how close and accessible nature is to us. The idea is to use technology and data in order to remind and inspire people to enjoy the outdoors. Not having enough time outdoors is not a only problem for kids, but also a problem for all of us.”

Ocean Outdoor head of marketing Helen Haines comments: “Get Out Here is a really simple idea that actually works in all sorts of environments and out of home locations. It’s a fun execution and a wonderful way to encourage more families to go play and get messy. That’s why it was chosen as an Ocean competition winner.”

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The sooner the industry addresses its current gender salary imbalance, the more young talent it will attract, says Taffy Msipa of experiential marketing agency Sense.

As someone just entering the marketing industry, it’s clear to me that a lot of the recent heated debate over the continuing (and very significant) gender pay gap has missed a valuable point: not paying men and women performing the same roles the same amount is not just unfair, it’s bad for business.

The fact that the issue exists in the 21st century is rightly attracting lots of publicity and causing plenty of outrage, because it’s explicitly unjust – why should you get more money just for being a bloke? It simply doesn’t reflect the real world. Women are taking on the same responsibilities as men so should be on the same salaries. However, outside of the ethical arguments, if the inequality persists it will hurt marketing.

In our sector, like many others, the short-term cost of closing the gender pay gap as quickly as possible actually makes good commercial sense because it will pay dividends going forward. Whether you’re an agency or business, you want to attract the best possible marketing talent. Before you can nurture and develop talent, first you have to attract the raw material.

You need to convince graduates that marketing is a great industry to work in, where employees are rewarded based on performance, regardless of their gender. And this issue doesn’t only concern women; an increasing number of men would feel more comfortable working in an environment where both genders are treated equally in terms of pay and rewards.

Since 1997, the Office of National Statistics has been measuring the differences between salaries of men and women across a wide variety of sectors, broken down into quite specific roles. Young people considering their career options can visit the ONS website and download the latest gender pay gap statistics and use them to help decide which sector to work in. It makes sense that the current focus on equal pay will encourage more people who are about to take their first step on the career ladder to do this basic research.

Someone checking the latest figures would see that the current pay gap for ‘marketing associate professionals’, the more junior roles, is 17.1%. This means that men in the same job are paid on average 17.1% more than women.

By then looking at ‘marketing and sales directors’, they could get an idea of whether the pay gap widens with seniority. Does the difference increase the harder you work and the higher you climb in the industry, something many might view as pretty demotivating? The ONS statistics reveal a figure of 12.5% for more senior roles, so male and female salaries actually converge as you progress through the profession.

This is clearly a good thing in terms of attracting people into marketing. However, the fact remains that both junior and senior figures are significantly higher than the overall cross sector UK gender pay gap of 9.1%, meaning that there are plenty of other industries with better salary equality than ours.

So it’s quite simple. Taking action together as an industry to reduce marketing’s gender pay gap now will prevent the talented marketers of the future from choosing another career where men and women are treated more fairly. It will also help to stop those currently working in the sector jumping ship. Finally, it will curb the demotivational and destabilising effects of half the workforce knowing they are being underpaid – and therefore undervalued – compared to their male colleagues.

Of course, most sectors are facing this issue, but those that address it first will steal a march over the others in terms of drawing young talent. By acting now as an industry, we can show we’re forward-looking and promoting a fairer society. Plus, it would be a great way of marketing the industry to graduates like me and growing our talent pool for the future.

Taffy Msipa is a Graduate Account Executive at London and New York based experiential marketing agency Sense.

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‘Natural beauty’ brand L’Occitane celebrated the launch of its new multi-sensorial flagship store on London’s Regent Street last week with a series of PR stunts and give-aways.

To raise awareness of the new opening and to drive traffic to the store, experiential marketing and staffing agency Ambient was commissioned to run a sampling campaign, featuring the brand’s bestselling hand cream, around London, including an attention-grabbing experiential activation at Tower of London. Consumers were also offered complimentary rides to the new store in L’Occitane-branded London taxi cabs.

Another activation ran near the new flagship store, where shoppers were given small golden keys – they were then invited to visit the new outlet and find out if their key unlocked a beauty hamper worth £250. The golden key activity ran for three days, starting on January 31st.

L’Occitane en Provence, usually referred to as L’Occitane, is an international manufacturer and retailer of cosmetics, toiletries and home products based in Provence, France. Products and made from local Provencal ingredients and materials ethically sourced from elsewhere in traditional ways and the company does not use animal testing. Many of its products are organic, while the company supports the traditional cultivation of scented and aromatic plants through partnerships.

The brand’s new London flagship store has been designed to provide customers with a unique, sensory experience.

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Wholefoods snack bar brand Nākd is showcasing the winning doodles from two fans who entered its ‘Add a little Delight’ social media competition. The sketches will feature in the brand’s out-of-home advertising at London tube stations and rail stations from mid January till the end of the month, reaching 4.5m adults.

Launched in September this year, the break time campaign reached an audience of 2.9m consumers on social media alone by incentivising fans to submit their very own tea stain doodles on social media.

Linking in to the break time occasion, entrants were challenged to transform tea stains into creative sketches, with a chance to see their entry plastered all across London’s underground, as well as winning a year’s supply of Nākd goodies.

Marina Love, Marketing Director of Nākd, says: “It’s the community of fans that really make the Nākd brand successful and much loved so we wanted to create a campaign that was all about engaging with them at a time they regularly enjoy the products.”

Nākd is part of Natural Balance Foods, a British company founded in 2004. There are 30 fruit and nut wholefood products in the Nākd range, all made with 100% natural ingredients. They contain no added sugar and are gluten, wheat and dairy free and suitable for vegans.

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Clipper Teas, the ethical and organic tea brand owned by Wessanen UK, has partnered with chocolate producer Seed and Bean on a large scale on-pack promotion; available to all its retail partners nationwide.

Over 300,000 packs of Clipper’s green tea will carry a Seed and Bean branded sticker which will give consumers an opportunity to claim a free bar of Seed and Bean’s 85g dark chocolate.

There are four flavours to choose from: Extra Dark, Cornish Sea Salt, Extra Dark 72% Cocoa, Extra Dark Mint and Fine Dark Lemon and Cardamon.

To claim their free chocolate, consumers will be directed towards a dedicated micro-site to enter the unique code printed on the inside of the box. They will then be asked to choose the flavour they want, and the free bar will be sent to them.

The promotional packs are available from mid-December 2017 and will be available until stocks last.

To help introduce office workers to green tea and dark chocolate, Clipper will also deliver samples to over 500 major London businesses including Top Shop, Vogue House and Air BnB.

Finally, to inspire consumers to switch their tea break to green tea and dark chocolate, Clipper Teas has enlisted the help of expert nutritionist Libby Lemon who offers advice on the best green tea and dark chocolate pairings on Clipper’s website.

The partnership unites and strengthens the shared values of the brands including their organic and Fairtrade principles alongside their dedication for using the finest natural ingredients and delivering great-tasting products.

Adele Ward, Clipper Teas Brand Controller at Wessanen UK, says: “There is a great synergy between Clipper and Seed and Bean which has enabled us to put together a well aligned on-pack promotion and a generous offer that will attract ethical and conscious shoppers. Not only do we share the same natural, fair and organic principles, but we are also both produced in the UK and are committed to producing high quality and delicious products in beautiful packaging.

Clipper Teas and Seed and Bean will be supporting the partnership across all social media channels including which will include a collaborative social competition to win a hamper of green tea and dark chocolate.

Clipper was the UK’s first Fairtrade tea company. Founded in Dorset in 1984, Clipper manufactures an extensive variety of organic and Fairtrade teas and coffees – from everyday blends to green tea and infusions. All of Clipper’s products are made with pure ingredients from the highest-quality sources, with nothing artificial added.

Clipper brand owner Wessanen UK is a natural and organic food company with healthy brands including Clipper Teas, Kallo organic rice cakes, savoury snacks, stocks, gravies and cereals, Whole Earth organic spreads, cereals and drinks, Mrs Crimble’s gluten-free macaroons, cakes, biscuits and snacks and Almond Breeze milk alternative.

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LOUIS XIII Cognac has commissioned an exclusive musical composition from Pharrell Williams which will only be heard in 100 years – and only then if the world’s population has taken the necessary steps to combat global climate change.

The composition, ‘100 Years – The Song We’ll Only Hear If We Care’ was played once only in Shanghai on November 13th 2017 to a select audience who were forbidden to record it in any way. Pharrell’s exclusive track was then recorded onto a record made of clay from the chalky soil of the Cognac region, and stored in the cellars of LOUIS XIII in a state-of-the-art safe specially designed by Fichet-Bauche which will be destroyed when submerged in water.

Following the event in Shanghai, LOUIS XIII Cognac will launch an international tour in major cities all around the world, in order to raise awareness and funds for environmental organizations through charity dinners. Through these events, LOUIS XIII will directly support associations dedicated to curbing climate change on a local level.

If sea levels continue to rise due to climate change, then chances are the cellars will be filled with water in 100 years, LOUIS XIII says, so destroying the recording. The only way to guarantee this original piece of music will be heard again in 2117, one century from now, is by addressing the consequences of global warming. ‘100 Years’ by Pharrell Williams will be out in 2117, but only #Ifwecare.

“I love the fact that LOUIS XIII thinks a century ahead,” said Pharrell Williams. “We should all do the same for the planet. We have a common interest in preserving nature for the future. Each bottle is the life achievement of generations of men and women. It’s all about legacy and transmission.”

“We are incredibly proud of this innovative project,” said Ludovic du Plessis, Global Executive Director of LOUIS XIII. “Nature and time are at the heart of what we do.  If the environment is unstable, even the greatest cellar master would not be able to compose the exceptional blend that is LOUIS XIII.  Global Warming is one of the most important issues of the 21st century; with ‘100 Years – The Song We’ll Only Hear If We Care’, we hope to inspire people around the world to take action.”

In 2015, LOUIS XIII partnered with renowned actor and creative visionary John Malkovich and famous Hispanic American film-maker Robert Rodriguez to create ‘100 Years: The Movie You Will Never See,’ a thought-provoking artistic work exploring the relationship of past, present, and future which will be kept locked up until 2115. The Rémy Martin-owned spirits brand sent 1,000 exclusive invitations to people from around the world to attend the premiere of ‘100 Years’, on November 18, 2115, at the House of LOUIS XIII in Cognac, France. Recipients are being asked to pass these invites on to their descendants.

The Remy Cointreau Group has long been committed to the international effort to curb global warming. It works with the United Nations ‘Global Compact Advanced’ program on issues including sustainable wine-growing practices, energy efficiency, eco-friendly packaging, optimization of product shipments and forest conservation.

“As a company, we must do the best we can every day to make the world a better place,” explained Ludovic du Plessis. “But no single person or brand can stop global warming on their own – it must come from the unified global actions of all people around the world. Together we are much stronger than any person or brand is on their own. This is not about any one city or country but the future of our planet as a whole. Our concern is not primarily for Cognac, but for every city around the world.”

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