1,000+
Social Shares, Likes and Engagements
5,000+
Products and samples given away
23,000+
Runners and spectators
Bringing SPF Awareness to 23,000+ Runners Through A Beauty Brand Activation Pop-up
MGN Events partnered with creative agency Southpaw to deliver an immersive beauty brand activation for e.l.f. SKIN at the HOKA Hackney Half in East London.
Designed to promote the e.l.f. SKIN Suntouchable SPF range, the activation combined product education, sampling, gaming and social content creation to engage thousands of runners and spectators throughout race day.
Working to an accelerated two-week turnaround, MGN transformed Southpaw’s creative vision into a fully realised experiential marketing campaign that generated significant footfall, lengthy queues and exceptional client feedback.
The Brief
Southpaw appointed MGN Events as its trusted production and experiential events partner to bring the e.l.f. SKIN Suntouchable campaign to life at one of the UK’s most popular running events.
The objective was to raise awareness of the Suntouchable SPF range among a highly relevant audience of runners, encourage product sampling and trial, and create a memorable brand experience that would generate social content both on-site and online.
With more than 23,000 runners crossing the finish line, the activation needed to stand out within a crowded event village, attract attention from a distance and encourage meaningful interaction with the brand.
Working within a compact footprint and tight production schedule, the challenge was to create maximum impact while delivering a seamless customer journey that blended education, entertainment and engagement.
Our Approach
MGN Events managed the activation from concept realisation through to on-site delivery, acting as an extension of the Southpaw team throughout the project.
Transforming Creative Concepts into Reality
Using Southpaw’s creative designs as the foundation, we delivered a fully customised e.l.f. SKIN “Suntouchable HQ” activation space.
At the heart of the experience was a bespoke branded pop-up structure featuring a custom architectural fascia, branded welcome desk, immersive product graphics and interactive customer touchpoints.
The vibrant yellow and blue colour palette ensured maximum visibility across the event village while creating a premium, instantly recognisable brand environment.
Creating a Landmark Experience
One of the standout features of the activation was a giant inflatable e.l.f. SKIN Suntouchable Invisi-Stick SPF 50 product installation.
Towering above neighbouring activations, the inflatable acted as a visual landmark that could be seen from across the event site, helping to drive footfall and attract runners towards the experience throughout the day.
The oversized product installation reinforced key campaign messaging while creating a highly shareable photo opportunity for attendees.
Designing an Interactive Customer Journey
The customer journey was designed to be simple, engaging and rewarding.
Guests were drawn to the activation by the giant inflatable and branded structure before entering the Suntouchable HQ experience.
Visitors could:
- Learn more about the e.l.f. SKIN SPF range
- Engage with brand ambassadors
- Ring the celebratory bell
- Capture content at branded selfie moments
- Participate in the interactive Game. Set. Glow. challenge
- Receive product samples and giveaways
This combination of education, entertainment and product trial created meaningful interactions while encouraging social sharing.
Game. Set. Glow.
To increase dwell time and audience participation, MGN delivered the “Game. Set. Glow.” challenge.
Participants were invited to throw bean bags into a branded game wall, with different prize levels awarded depending on which target they successfully landed.
The game created friendly competition, generated queues throughout the day and provided an effective mechanism for product giveaways and brand engagement.
SEAMLESS EVENT DELIVERY
MGN coordinated all production, supplier management, installation, on-site event management and de-rig.
Our experienced event team remained on-site throughout the event weekend, supporting e.l.f. brand ambassadors and ensuring every aspect of the activation ran smoothly.
Despite the accelerated two-week delivery schedule, the activation was delivered on time, on budget and to an exceptional standard.
THE RESULTS
The activation proved to be one of the most popular experiences within the Hackney Half event village.
The combination of striking visual branding, interactive experiences and product sampling created significant footfall and engagement throughout the day.
Key outcomes included:
- Visibility to more than 23,000 runners and spectators
- Thousands of product giveaways distributed
- Thousands of direct interactions with attendees
- Significant social media content creation and sharing
- Consistently long queues throughout the event
- One of the busiest activation spaces in the event village
- Exceptional client feedback following delivery
The giant inflatable product installation, interactive Game. Set. Glow. challenge and engaging customer journey combined to create a memorable experiential campaign that successfully raised awareness of the e.l.f. SKIN Suntouchable SPF range among a highly targeted audience.
The project further strengthened MGN Events’ reputation for delivering high-impact beauty brand activations, experiential marketing campaigns and product sampling experiences for leading consumer brands.
Frequently Asked Questions for beauty brand activations
Can MGN Events manage beauty brand activations from concept to delivery??
Absolutely. We provide end-to-end support including production, creative build, logistics, staffing, event management, experiential marketing and on-site delivery.
What is a beauty brand activation?
A beauty brand activation is an experiential marketing campaign designed to help beauty brands engage directly with consumers through immersive experiences, product sampling, education and interactive content.
How can experiential marketing help launch beauty products?
Experiential marketing allows consumers to interact directly with products, creating memorable brand experiences that increase awareness, encourage trial and generate organic social media content.
Can MGN Events deliver beauty brand activations at sporting events?
Yes. MGN Events designs and delivers beauty brand activations, product sampling campaigns and experiential marketing experiences at sporting events, festivals, retail environments and public spaces across the UK.
What makes a successful product sampling activation?
Successful product sampling activations combine strong branding, engaging experiences, clear product education and opportunities for consumers to trial products in relevant environments.
How long does it take to deliver a brand activation?
Timelines vary depending on the complexity of the activation, but this e.l.f. SKIN campaign was successfully delivered from brief to live event in just two weeks.
