Hydro Flask® – Bournemouth University Activation
Bringing bold energy (and hydration) to Gen Z
Hydro Flask® is all about keeping people hydrated wherever life takes them. With a vibrant product range of bottles, tumblers and drinkware, the brand already has a strong presence among outdoor enthusiasts and active lifestyles.
In 2025, they set their sights on a new audience: Gen Z. To connect with this digitally native, trend-savvy generation, Hydro Flask® needed more than just ads, they needed real-life moments that were fun, sharable, and undeniably on-brand.
Interpret + Define
Our challenge? Create an unforgettable brand experience that captivates our environmentally conscious audience. We explored multiple locations for activation, ranging from music festivals to branded fitness events, but the Bournemouth University Summer Ball came out the clear winner. It’s a one-day music event more like a festival than a fresher’s fair.
As students are entry point consumers for premium products, they could become future brand loyalists, giving Hydro Flask® a head start on competitors.
Real life activation has been shown to be a powerful brand recognition tool amongst students who have frequent contact with large friendship groups on campus and it would enable us to generate rapid learnings at low cost.
What better way to steal market share in the highly competitive reusable bottle category than at a standout event at Bournemouth University. We set about testing ideas that would build awareness, boost social engagement, and get students talking (and tagging).
Imagine + Create
We designed an experiential campaign with two high-impact executions:
- A campus pop-up that brought the Hydro Flask® brand into students’ everyday environment
- A high-energy presence at the legendary SUBU Summer Ball, one of the biggest student events of the year
At the heart of it all was a game zone - fast-paced, playful, and built around the product itself. Students could take part in quick-fire challenges and mini competitions, with the chance to win instant prizes. But for something even bigger? They had to follow Hydro Flask® on Instagram and enter their handle on the leaderboard.
The space itself was crafted to stand out. Think bold colours, on-trend styling, and a look designed to earn a spot on everyone’s feed. It wasn’t just an activation - it was a moment.
Rise + Shine
The result was a real-world brand experience that did exactly what Gen Z expect: it entertained, it rewarded, and it looked good doing it.
Over the three days up to 1800 students played the Hydro Flask® games. Bournemouth University had to provide crowd barriers to control the queue – which was never less than an hour long.
Our social media coverage led to Hydro Flask® achieving their top two performing reels ever, with over 25k views so far.
More than just a bump in social followers, the campaign helped position Hydro Flask® as a brand that gets its audience, meeting them where they are, speaking their language, and showing up in style.
There was a real hype about the brand with students wanting to buy the Micro and SS25 products and our client left very happy indeed, “I’ll be sure to recommend you to our other brands should they be looking for creative agencies – 10/10 experience”.
