How we delivered 5,550 samples, 8,000 engagements and high-impact brand visibility for Tate & Lyle at Barcode Festival 2026, factory locations and London media houses.
Campaign snapshot:
To launch their new Lyle’s Golden Syrup Ice Cream, Tate & Lyle needed an activation that could cut through the noise at Barcode Festival 2026 the ultimate FMCG industry gathering organized by GroceryAid.
With over 6,000 key decision-makers, buyers, retail giants, and agency leaders attending on Thursday 2nd July 2026 at Kenwood House (formerly at Magazine) in London, Barcode is the single most competitive trade festival of the year.
Tate & Lyle’s objective was two-fold:
When a legacy product is reimagined into an experiential format, it shifts perception from a household staple to an unmissable cultural event. Tucked into the high-octane energy of Barcode Festival, the Lyle’s Golden Syrup ice cream van did precisely that. Retail buyers, FMCG leaders, and festival-goers were drawn to the rich, nostalgic aesthetic almost immediately. The crowd gathered rapidly and stayed consistent, creating an magnetic focal point that anchored the entire footprint.
Positioned across key London media houses, factory sites, and the main festival at Kenwood House in London, the activation moved seamlessly through different audience touch points. Industry decision-makers paused their day, stepped into the branded dwell zone, and engaged long before taking their first scoop. Freshly served ice cream was handed out with precision while high-value, custom-embroidered tote bags were distributed as tangible brand takeaways. The pairing was effortless. An iconic British flavor reimagined into a premium summer treat alongside a memorable lifestyle asset. There was no forced proposition. The theater of the setup carried the narrative. Across the tour, thousands of high-value consumers and trade stakeholders connected with the brand in an environment that felt authentic, elevated, and impossible to ignore.
To position Lyle’s Golden Syrup Ice Cream as a premium, nostalgic treat, iMP designed a multi-location roadshow centered around a fully branded ice cream van hire activation.
[ 4x London Media Houses ] > [ 2x T&L Factories ] > [ Barcode Festival 2026 ]
(1,150 High-Value Samples) + (400 Factory Team Samples)+ (4,000 Festival Samples)
At Barcode Festival, standing out requires more than just hand-to-hand distribution. iMP built a summer-inspired experiential footprint around the ice cream van:
By combining high-energy brand ambassadors, custom promo vehicle production, and strategic multi-site planning, the activation delivered incredible trial volume and engagement ROI:
Activating at Barcode Festival offers an unrivaled opportunity to connect with senior buyers, retail teams, and FMCG influencers. However, with over 120+ brand activations competing for attention, generic sampling setups get lost in the crowd.
As a specialist FMCG product sampling agency, iMP handles every phase of festival activations. From concept design, vehicle wraps, and custom builds to site permits, HACCP-compliant logistics, and expert promotional staffing.
Planning your activation for Barcode Festival next year?
Contact the iMP team today to discuss custom promo vehicles, experiential builds and high-impact sampling strategies.
Organized by GroceryAid, Barcode Festival is the UK’s premier FMCG industry event, bringing together over 6,000 key decision-makers, retail buyers, and brand managers. Activating at Barcode gives FMCG brands a rare opportunity to drive high-volume trial, build direct relationships with major trade stakeholders, and gain massive visibility alongside the UK’s top food and beverage brands.
Standout activations at Barcode require more than standard hand-to-hand sampling. Successful brands focus on creating experiential “dwell zones”—using custom promo vehicles, interactive theater, sensory branding, and high-value retention merchandise (like premium tote bags) to engage busy festival-goers. It is also critical to partner with an agency that handles site permits, vehicle access, HACCP food safety compliance, and experienced event staffing.
Custom promo vehicles and branded ice cream vans act as rolling focal points that draw immediate attention across crowded festival grounds. They provide a fully equipped, self-contained operational hub for serving fresh, temperature-controlled samples while doubling as a high-impact branding backdrop. The visual scale of a bespoke vehicle wrap creates natural social proof and drives organic visual sharing across social media.
iMP manages every stage of festival and trade activations nationwide. From initial creative strategy and bespoke vehicle wrap production to site logistics, HACCP-compliant food preparation, and recruiting high-energy Event Managers and Brand Ambassadors, we deliver complete, turnkey campaigns that maximize sample distribution, engagement ROI, and long-term brand impact.
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We worked with iMP for our event stand and staffing of the Ideal Home Show. David and the team were fantastic, our stand was incredible and we had so many compliments on it. The staff were great, they are really high energy and engaged our consumers at the stand. I would highly recommend if you are looking to run any sampling or experiential events for your brand.
Brand Manager, Snuggledown
We partnered with iMP Sampling & Experiential for a summer campaign with one of our clients, and we couldn't be happier with the results. They executed a total of 42 in-store events nationwide, and their team's expertise in sampling and experiential marketing truly shone through. The staff were great at engaging with customers and helping us to achieve our goal of increasing footfall and participation at each event.
Account Director, CreativeRace
Hiring iMP for an event I was leading on for a new client was a great decision. They turned around a high quality sampling event and promo vehicle with a very short turnaround time, and their staff on the day were incredibly enthusiastic and professional. They made the process easy and the client very happy, we'll definitely be working with them again.
Brand Director, Lee Kum Kee
David and team at iMP are the real deal - kind, personable, dependable, professional, and offer a craftsmanship that rivals any agency I've encountered in my career. We will absolutely be using iMP again for any future UK activations (if they will have us) and highly recommend for any companies seeking an incredible experience - ESPECIALLY if you're a US-based team like us, and need an expert on location.
Brand Director, Life360
We worked with iMP on stands for two different events and were thrilled with the quality of the items we received. The team executed our brief to a fantastic standard, working to a tight turnaround to deliver all materials required for both events, and were extremely supportive and quick to respond to any questions we had throughout the process. Thank you iMP for your work on this project to ensure we had incredible activations at both of our events!
Brand Manager, BOL Foods
Had a wonderful experience working with David and the whole iMP team for an event this summer! David went above and beyond to help wherever possible and the branded ice cream van turned out beautifully. Hope to work with iMP again soon!
Brand Manager, ETTG
