Zeno Thinks: A few Glastonbury campaigns That (Do and) Don’t Impress Me Much
I have my feet firmly back on the ground after enjoying the best five days on Worthy Farm, singing, crying, laughing and screaming along to the queens that are Avril Lavigne, Dua Lipa, Shania Twain and Charli XCX, to name just a few…
And whilst I mostly switched off from work, it was impossible to miss the official brand sponsors popping up around the site with their own brand activations, including Chilly Bottles, Brothers Cider, Land Rover and Vodafone (who were an absolute life saver with their free e-Sims giving the farm internet for the week).
It’s equally interesting to see how brands that are not official sponsors also get involved. Whether you’re a die-hard Glasto goer or not, when festival fever takes over the news agenda, every brand battles to grab a slice of the publicity pie, or in this case pizza.
Following on from the iconic Rocket Man jetpack pizza delivery stunt Domino’s nailed last year – touching down just as Elton John graced the Pyramid stage for his last ever UK performance – Papa John’s tried to follow suit in 2024. Their schtick was to hand out a free small pizza in exchange for your Glastonbury wristband when leaving the festival.
It was a bold move given that research suggests “a quarter of festival goers ages 25-44 have left their wristband on for at least a month following the event”. It would certainly take more than a margherita to persuade me to depart with my cherished keepsake.
One brand that followed the rules of PR 101 and absolutely smashed it was Great Western Railways. Off the back of Shania Twain saying on the ‘Sidetracked with Annie and Nick’ podcast that she had a train named after her in Switzerland, GWR reacted quickly and created the ‘Shania Train’ on the Intercity Express heading down to Somerset.
Fast reactive? Check. Relevant talent? Check. Fun picture story? Check. A good pun? Check. A great example of a brand that isn’t an official sponsor of the festival getting in on the action.
And when it comes to rainy and muddy festivals, is there anything more iconic than Hunter Wellies or Barbour jackets modelled by celebs such as Kate Moss, Cara Delivigne and Alexa Chung? Fortunately, this year wellies weren’t a requirement, but British brand Barbour teamed up with Oxfam – one of the festival’s official charity partners – to keep people warm with a new service allowing festival goers to rent a pre-loved jacket for the weekend for just £45 (with all proceeds going to charity).
With unpredictable temperatures, this service meant people didn’t have to lug in heavy coats, but could wear a unique upcycled waxed jacket, giving them that festival chic look. A campaign that makes you feel as good as you look? Now that’s something worth handing over my precious wristband for.
Glasto fever may be coming to an end, but summer of sports is well underway. I’m excited to see what other campaigns can score well this season, even if the England Men’s Football team don’t hit the back of the net on Saturday.
