Trade show experience

Rudie, Dave and Kev – the pooch, the owner and the friend who inspired an inviting trade show experience for one of Britain’s favourite dog shows.

Background

Rudie, a cute pooch with a noisy stomach problem is to blame for the idea to launch Butternut Box: to try and put a stop to Rudie’s antisocial habit, his owner Dave started to feed him home-cooked food prepared with only natural, fresh ingredients.

After Dave told his friend Kev that Rudie’s problem had disappeared thanks to his home cooking, they decided to help more dogs enjoy healthier meal times.

The ball started rolling, and from the company’s humble beginnings in Dave’s kitchen, Butternut Box now employs a big team of people who are just as passionate about the health and happiness of dogs.

Challenge

Inspired by one of our experiential projects, where a model of a traditional camper van lured crowds into the exhibition space, we were approached by Butternut Box to collaborate with them on a stand design for Paws in the Park, one of Britain’s favourite dog shows. With our client sponsoring the show, our ideas would have to go beyond providing an exhibition stand, and should instead offer more of a wholesome experience that would have tails wagging, and health-conscious dog owners inspired by what Butternut Box brings to the table.

A conservative budget and a 5-week timeline is what we had available to deliver a trade show experience that had to be unique and memorable from an audience – human and canine – point of view. From a technical perspective, the structure would have to be weather-proof and easy to put together and break down, ready for the next in a series of shows our client would be embarking on.

Solution

Despite some limitations to the design because of the structural framework and where different key elements would have to be positioned, our experiential design solution manages to establish a strong connection with the target audience – laid back and playful, the design has immediate appeal.

Our client’s brand guidelines allowed for the use of colour tints so, being aware of problems with outdoor experiences where insects are attracted to the brightness of yellow, we used a softer tint instead, which paired with blue gave a relaxed look and feel to the design.

For maximum visibility, we installed two feather flags in the front corner of the plot, a last-minute addition that proved very effective to attract visitors.

With enough space to play with, the trade show experience features a picnic bench in Butternut Box’s blue, another nod to the relaxed nature of the experience, inviting dog owners to approach and take a well-earned break with their pet.

Separate 3D illustrations bring the structure to life: dogs eagerly gathering around the open hatch trying to get some food add an element of fun and generate a smile. We used the same 3D cut-out effect for the Butternut Box logo, which contributes to brand recognition and also avoids interfering with break points on the camper van framework.

The van structure:

Using the camper van model we had created for our client Hippeas as a starting point, and to make the Butternut Box one weather-proof, we avoided the use of plywood or timber and instead reengineered it into a 3mm-thick composite aluminium structure cut to shape and covered in graphic vinyl panels that bolt on to it. The invisible joins of the graphics add to the overall quality feel of the design.

A double door swings open to allow the Butternut Box team to step in and serve their delicious recipes straight out of the two fridges we had installed inside. At 6m (W) x 3m (H), the van offers a comfortable space for the team to work in.

After building the structure for our client, we put together a full logistics package for them, rolling out the stand to 15 different shows across the UK and keeping it in storage in between shows.

“Thank you Simon and Dan for your hard work again and for your help over the weekend – really amazing to be working with you to make Butternut’s sponsorship dreams happen!

We’ve had so many compliments on how amazing the stand looks, and at this last event we more than doubled the number of new customer sign-ups. It really is going from strength to strength.”