Promotions Edition
September 2025
With the weather changing and nights getting longer in the UK, it has come as no surprise to see brands beginning to activate in store to align with this. ‘Night In’ themes are appearing across consumer promotions, with prize pools to reflect the time consumers will be spending at home.
Next month, we will be rounding up the spookiest Halloween activations to share with you. There are already some amazing (and dubious) activations and partnerships hitting shelves.
Nectar Millionaires
“Good to see a cross-category promotion in action, and who wouldn’t want a million Nectar points. Many brands that have a wide portfolio often struggle with internal political or logistical challenges to get co-promotions off the ground. When done well, they create impact, efficiencies, and increase amplification all around.” – GC View
Sainsbury’s partnered with Mondelez for an in-store promotion offering a 2 million Nectar points prize draw, driving strong customer engagement and participation. The campaign’s success was reinforced by a repeat with Birds Eye, proving the model’s effectiveness. This loyalty-based framework is now a proven strategy for major brands to boost in-store engagement and shopper loyalty.
A Puzzling Pour
“Grabbing attention with a bit of “pour play” word play is a good start. Wine and a brain game is a solid pairing. I’m curious if the challenging barrier to entry will generate enough ROI-positive engagement, especially since there appears to be only a single grand prize offered.” – GC View
McGuigan Wines’ ‘Pour & Play’ campaign is a year-long promotion, running from June 2025 to June 2026. Consumers must buy a qualifying product and play an online puzzle game (similar to Sudoku / Wordle) to enter. The tiered prize strategy blends high-volume monthly rewards with a grand prize trip to Sydney.
The Captain Covers Your Rent
“Timed for when household budgets are tightest, this promotion offers consumers exactly what they’re looking for: value and escapism. The grand prize of a month’s rent is a powerful draw addressing financial stress, while secondary prizes provide all the essentials for an affordable, fun night in with friends.” – GC View
Captain Morgan is turning up the heat with a prize-packed promotion made for cosy get-togethers. Five lucky winners will each get £2,000 towards rent, offering relief during one of the year’s most expensive times. Instant prizes themed around socialising at home include projectors, beanbags, blankets, dartboards, and food delivery eVouchers to fuel gatherings.
Night-Time Plot Twist
“Oreo’s Night Twist campaign resonated by linking the brand to evening snacking and appealing to varied lifestyles. ‘Night in’ and ‘night out’ prizes ensured broad relevance, while the £5,000 grand prize offered ultimate flexibility, letting the winner define their perfect night and keeping consumers firmly in control.” – GC View
Oreo’s ‘Night Twist’ campaign connects the brand with evening snacking by splitting its prizes between ‘night in’ and ‘night out’ themes. ‘Night in’ prizes, like a PS5 or Netflix subscription, tap into the popularity of home entertainment and gaming; the ‘night out’ prizes, such as cinema tickets, cater to the desire for real-world experiences. The main £5,000 prize offers the winner complete freedom of choice.
Beat The Icon
“Fantasy Premier League grows bigger every season, making it the perfect arena for a global brand like Coca-Cola. By combining gamification with football-themed prizes, the promotion captured fans’ attention while adding an extra layer of excitement — and of course, the all-important bragging rights when their team outperformed the competition.” – GC View
Supporting their Premier League partnership, Coca-Cola’s ‘Beat the Icon’ Fantasy Premier League promotion let consumers win prizes by creating teams to outscore a weekly ‘icon’. Each success entered players into a draw for one of 20,000 prizes, including water bottles, wireless chargers, and coolers. Sainsbury’s amplified the campaign with an exclusive customer promotion.
Red Bull Gives Tetris Wings
“It’s Tetris, but at a global scale! One of the great things about this promotion is how quickly you can get into a game of Tetris. No installing apps, no registration (until after your first game), just straight into the classic game for some instant fun. Technically clever but ultimately immediately engaging and an excellent incentive with a chance to become a Tetris worldwide champion!” – GC View
Red Bull has launched a branded Tetris game alongside a limited edition can design as part of a global competition. Players in Great Britain can join via mobile, aiming to beat high scores and climb the leaderboard. Top performers qualify for the National Final, where the winner will represent Great Britain at the World Final in Dubai.
On-Trade Excellence
In the Doghouse? Lucky You!
Brewdog offered a stay at its Doghouse hotel during a recent on-trade show, challenging players to top the leaderboard in an addictive, Flappy Bird-style game.
Taste Sevilla, Toast Together
Cruzcampo offered a taste of its Sevillian roots, giving away a free pint for consumer and a friend, plus entry into a grand prize draw to win a trip to Sevilla itself.
Good Pals Deserve Another Round
Birra Moretti celebrated authentic connections with a classic buy-one-get-one-free offer, giving friends the perfect excuse to catch up over a beer.
