The Grove represents one of the brand’s first stand-alone experiential events for consumers

To bring its The Life Deliziosa campaign to life, Sanpellegrino Sparkling Fruit Beverages activated an Italian-inspired citrus grove experience in New York City. Located in Flatiron Plaza, The Grove was open for six hours each day and offered sampling, lounging and activities.

Consumers entered the footprint via a trellis pathway of citrus trees and posed for photos with a parasol prop and a classic pastel blue cruising bicycle against a backdrop of the southern Italian coastline. Wooden bins of citrus fruits representing the various flavors in the line of beverages were on display. There was a bocce ball court (a theme featured in the brand’s campaign videos), as well as a lounge area with seating and umbrella cover. At a sampling bar, consumers could pick up a can of the beverage or a custom Sanpellegrino flavored Italian ice being served from a vintage cart nearby.

While Sanpellegrino has aligned its brand with events in the past, The Grove represented one of its first stand-alone experiential events for consumers. As for results: 15,000-plus product samples were delivered over the course of the two days, and the event earned 150,000-plus visual impressions from media including The Wall Street Journal, Reuters, Food & Wine Magazine, Redbook and Elite Daily. Sanpellegrino Sparkling Fruit Beverages launched an Instagram account and it recorded a spike in engagement via #LifeDeliziosa. The brand leveraged Periscope to post live coverage from the activation on Twitter, and The Grove was featured on Our Story on Snapchat (a local channel for New Yorkers).

“This is the first fully integrated marketing campaign that we’ve done for Sanpellegrino Sparkling Fruit Beverages,” says Tony Vizioli, marketing manager-Italian brands at Nestlé Waters. “We wanted to increase brand awareness and really educate consumers on the amazing range of product flavors that we have through an authentic Italian experience.” Agency: TH Productions, New York City.

Check out more photos here.

 *This article was originally published in 2015 and is updated periodically

See also:

• Meiomi Uncorks a Luxury Wine Sampling Tour
• MorningStar Farms Wraps the Way to Veg Sampling Tour