Drunk Elephant: Experiential Vending Meets Beauty Innovation
Beauty Fans Get Personal Skincare Recommendations
Our Vendmax Plus glass-front vending machine with integrated digital sidecar screen brought a dynamic experiential campaign to life for beauty brand Drunk Elephant.
Touring key UK locations including Boots: Covent Garden, Battersea, Sheffield, Manchester and Westfield Stratford, the activation offered visitors personalised skincare giveaways in a fun, interactive format. Designed to drive social media engagement and foot traffic, this mobile beauty experience proved the power of combining tech-enabled sampling with eye-catching, branded design.
The User Experience
The User Experience was designed with customer journey and engagement at its core. On arrival, users were invited to interact with the touchscreen interface housed in the digital sidecar, where they could select whether they were a new or returning customer. From there, they completed a quick, fun skincare quiz tailored to identify their unique skin concerns. From dryness and dullness to breakouts or sensitivity.
Based on their responses, the machine used smart logic to dispense a personalised product sample, ensuring each customer received a Drunk Elephant item that matched their individual skincare needs.
This seamless, interactive experience not only delighted users on the spot but also encouraged social sharing and word-of-mouth buzz, making it a perfect blend of experiential marketing and data-driven personalisation.
4 Flagship Stores
3,943 Personalised Product Samples
Engagement and Impact
This activation delivered more than just samples, it created a memorable, personalised brand moment that resonated with customers. The interactive quiz and tailored product selection added a thoughtful, personal touch that set the experience apart from typical giveaways.
With its bold branding and eye-catching design, the machine quickly became a social magnet, encouraging users to snap & share their experiences across platforms. This not only amplified organic reach but also positioned Drunk Elephant at the forefront of innovative, experiential marketing, driving meaningful engagement both on-site and online.
Insights
The Drunk Elephant activation was a clear success, showcasing the power of tech-driven sampling and experiential engagement. Across Five UK locations, the Vendmax Plus delivered 4,000 personalised skincare samples, each tailored to individual user needs.
The combination of interactive touchpoints, personalisation, and social media buzz helped the campaign leave a lasting impression, proving the effectiveness of smart vending in driving brand awareness and consumer connection.
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