NationFried: Targeted Pop-Up Experience
To promote the Nationwide ‘FlexStudent account’ and provide first-year students with bite-sized life advice before heading to university, Nationwide hosted NationFried, a chicken shop takeover featuring social media figures GK Barry and Harry Pinero.
Source: Nationwide
Why This Technique Worked
Targeting specific market demographics with relatable content gives individuals a sense of connection to marketing that feels tailored to them. Think of it as an IRL algorithm, ensuring that audiences see what they want or need. A common subject with first year university students is managing their student loans, money and savings. However, first-year students often don’t prioritise their bank accounts right away; it’s only when financial realities hit that they start considering student accounts or perhaps once they start talking to their friends in their accommodation that money/bank accounts come up.
This activation leverages a familiar setting to them, the post night out grub on the way home. To create a memorable experience while promoting the FlexStudent account nationwide, they used this setting to create a rebranded chicken shop that featured vibrant colours and bright neon lights to grab their attention. By combining comfort food with practical advice, NationFried captures their attention in a non-patronising way that resonates with uni students. Although maybe after a night out isn’t entirely the correct time to be talking to them about money and banks, it’ll definitely help plant the seed!
Source: Nationwide
How We are Adopting Targeted Experiences
At Ambient, we emphasise tailoring advertising strategies based on demographic insights, time and place, alongside the campaign goals. For instance, a recent campaign we did for Oasis aimed to highlight the importance of having good lunch breaks to recharge for the afternoon ahead. We designed an interactive billboard campaign for them in London and Manchester where we transformed passers by mundane lunch breaks into an engaging experience. By allowing shoppers to pull a giant lever, we offered them a refreshing escape and a voucher for a free Greggs meal with any Oasis drink. Successfully linking the brand to a positive moment in that person’s day, in this instance lunchtime.
Source: Ambient
Key Takeaways for Effective Advertising
In any advertising campaign, it’s important to define the goal clearly to maximise engagement and ensure the activation leaves a lasting impression. By combining intelligent marketing strategies with a genuine understanding of the audience, brands can create memorable experiences that not only enhance brand recall but also foster long-term relationships between the consumers and brand.
In the case of NationFried, students may not have initially considered Nationwide, but the engaging experience may lead them to remember the company putting it in their first thoughts when they start to think about their student bank accounts, potentially for their entire university journey or even beyond.
Source: Ambient
To find out more about how Ambient can help bring your brands to life or to request a free copy of our book please email us at info@ambientww.com