How Brand Juice turned a creative brief into a TV show-themed smoothie to create buzz for HBO Max’s London takeover.
What we provided:
- 200 x 250ml branded juice bottles with full-print labels
- Bespoke flavour development to match the client’s brief
- Delivery split across two dates
- Flavour samples to help the decision-making process
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The brief
When HBO Max launched their streaming service in the UK, they took over London with an immersive experience and pop-ups across iconic locations within the city. HBO-branded vans took residence in Leicester Square and at Tower Bridge, handing out fun giveaways themed around HBO’s biggest shows.
Working with The Food Truck Agency, we were tasked with creating a custom-branded juice to tie in with ‘The White Lotus’. Our brief was clear: the drink needed to be green, and it had to have either a tropical flavour profile (ideally with coconut) or ingredients with a strong connection to Eastern Asia. Most importantly, they wanted to name their drink ‘Saxon’s Smoothie’, a reference to the TV show itself.
Our approach
Flavour was everything for this project, so we started by curating a shortlist for the client with our most fitting green drinks. To hit the tropical brief, we also included a bespoke flavour with coconut as the hero ingredient, and spirulina, a natural colourant, to get the all-important green shade spot on.
We suggested:
- Apple, Avocado and Cucumber
- Pineapple, Mango and Spinach
- Iced Matcha from our Tea and Coffee range
- A bespoke flavour suggestion – Pineapple, Coconut, Lime and Spirulina
Our juice sample service
Our clients were keen to taste the juices before making their decision, so this was the perfect opportunity to use our sample service. Our sample boxes include up to 4 x 250ml flavours made fresh to order, as well as example labels and bottles to really help give a feel for the final product.
The sample box did exactly what it needed to do. The bespoke Pineapple, Coconut, Lime and Spirulina flavour came out on top – the perfect custom combination for Saxon’s Smoothie. Finished with a full print label, The White Lotus and HBO logos sat against a botanical green background, with the all-important custom flavour name tying the smoothie neatly into the world of the show.
Not sure which flavour is right for your brief? A sample box can help with that. Mention it when you get in touch and we’ll talk it through.
The results
In total, we delivered 200 x 250ml rPET bottles across two separate dates to a central London location, so our client could split them however they liked across each pop-up.
The smoothies were a huge hit. Every detail matched the client’s brief, and they tasted as good as they looked. Served alongside Friends-inspired cookies and House of the Dragon eggs, Saxon’s Smoothie was right at the heart of a unique HBO van activation that stopped Londoners in their tracks across the city.
Fantastic feedback
We reached out to The Food Truck Agency post-event. Here’s what they had to say:
“The smoothies went down really well. You were really great to work with – Julie was a huge help and we really appreciate the level of service to help us turn everything around at short notice. You were terrific to work with, so thank you!”
Dan Steel, The Food Truck Agency
The impact
A named drink, a TV show tie-in and a very specific colour and flavour brief – this is exactly what custom juices are made for. HBO’s creative partner, The Food Truck Agency, brought the creative vision, and we brought the flavour to match. We were delighted to bring Saxon’s Smoothie to life with a bespoke flavour created just for this event. And on a personal note, seeing our juices handed out at iconic spots like Tower Bridge? That never gets old.
Do you have an event coming up? Get in touch and see how custom-branded juices could fit in.