Interview: A busy day for Smyle
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When FMBE heard that Smyle had been busy with activations around Wimbledon – one at the tennis tournament and one with a tennis theme at Covent Garden. We thought it would make a nice snapshot of how an agency of scale operates on as events go live. So here is the interview as told to FMBE by two of Smyle’s account directors for events that coincided on Saturday 12th July – for Vodafone, Marc Soame and for Shopify with Bero – Meg Webster.
Vodafone at Wimbledon
1. What did you hope to deliver?
Wimbledon is the most anticipated tournament in the tennis calendar, so as the Official Connectivity Partner, Vodafone needed to show up in an innovative, interesting and super fun way.
Smyle was challenged to design and build two spaces for Vodafone at the event –
an exclusive hospitality suite for VIPs, and a brand experience for the public. Both activations brought to life this incredible partnership.
Vodafone has a multi-audience strategy to consider when executing upon partnership possibilities. Both consumer and business partners have distinct experiences within the same space to match their separate needs and objectives.
For consumers, we design an excellent brand representation of the positive impact that technology has on individuals and society. Easily accessible, fun and engaging experiences that creates brand advocacy.
Business customers are treated to the highest level of hospitality at Wimbledon. A unique experience that starts before the welcome gates and focuses on building stronger relationships.
2. How long did you have to plan this event?
We’re lucky to have worked on this event with Vodafone and Fuse for many years; we have a strong partnership that translates into deeply collaborative and efficient workflows. We typically start planning from February to give us approximately a 5-month lead time.
3. What aspects of Smyle’s experience gave you confidence ahead of opening?
Our creativity and experience design helps us to evolve year on year so that return guests see new and exciting elements. From bespoke tennis accuracy games to customised photo booths and more in the suite, our in-house scenic and technical teams give us an advantage that translates into a higher quality of output and rigorous control.
4. What could have gone wrong?
Lots can always go wrong, and we’ve overcome a fair few surprises across the years. The British weather is typically the largest unknown challenge, which unfortunately can pause play on the courts, but happily for us, that can drive lots of guests to the consumer experience.
5. Did the event live up to or surpass expectations? What went well, and why?
Every year Wimbledon seems to get bigger and better – AELTC are investing massively into the future of Wimbledon Championships which will have significant upside for Vodafone as a key partner. With year 5 on the horizon, we’ve had our best satisfaction score (NPS) to date which spurs us on further.
6. How did you feel afterwards?
The feeling of a successful event is always great. The Smyle team was fantastic, from kick off to completion. We all worked together as one big team. A huge thanks to Vodafone and Fuse for making it another successful Wimbledon.
Shopify with Bero (Covent Carden)
- What did you hope to deliver?
Our main goal was to showcase Shopify’s commerce platform through an engaging pop-up experience featuring Bero, Tom Holland’s non-alcoholic beer brand. The client aimed to leverage the timing of Wimbledon, creating a culturally relevant moment that would resonate with audiences.
We designed an immersive pop-up shop that brought the Bero brand to life. The centrepiece was a custom-built vintage drinks cart that served as both a sampling station and home for Shopify’s POS system, enabling customers to taste and purchase Bero products seamlessly. A striking Bero-branded umpire chair positioned at the front of the space attracted visitors and provided an ideal photo opportunity.
The activation’s back wall featured an artistic display of Bero cans arranged to form a tennis court, reinforcing the Wimbledon connection. Every element was carefully considered and expertly executed, resulting in a polished final product that exceeded client expectations.
2. How long did you have to plan this event?
We had just six weeks to bring this project to life. The compressed schedule meant every moment counted, especially when juggling opinions from multiple stakeholders.
We were incredibly fortunate to partner with a very collaborative team, both internally and externally. Everyone embraced the fast-paced environment with enthusiasm and a shared commitment to excellence. The seamless communication and alignment between our team, Shopify, and Bero’s turned what could have been a stressful timeline into a collective passion and dedication from all resulting in an activation that exceeded expectations.
3. What aspects of Smyle’s support gave you confidence ahead of opening?
Our proven scale and resources gave the client confidence that we could handle the complexity of coordinating multiple stakeholders within the tight six-week deadline, while our extensive portfolio of successful brand activations demonstrated our deep understanding of creating immersive retail experiences. This was particularly crucial as this marked the client’s first event and activation in the UK market, making it essential to get everything right from the start.
Our established reputation for excellence and meticulous attention to detail, backed by the exceptional talent of our in-house warehouse design and architectural team, provided reassurance that we would deliver the polished, professional results required for high-profile brands like Shopify and Bero in this new territory. Most importantly, because we’re genuinely collaborative partners – it aligned perfectly with the project needs, ensuring seamless coordination while maintaining creative vision – allowing everyone to focus on delivering exceptional results rather than worrying about operational execution for this milestone UK debut.
4. What could have gone wrong?
On-site activations can always present unexpected challenges, but we approach any situations that arise with open, transparent communication with our clients to ensure we reach the best solutions collaboratively. For example, when we encountered extreme heat during one of the hottest weekends of the year with our team working outside for over eight hours daily, we quickly implemented practical solutions including providing parasols for shade, ensuring frequent water breaks, and conducting regular team check-ins to maintain everyone’s comfort and safety throughout the event.
5. Did the event live up to or surpass expectations? What went well, and why?
The pop-up delivered outstanding results with 1,477 visitors over two days and generated over 20,000 impressions on LinkedIn alone, while Tom Holland’s personal social media endorsement amplified our reach exponentially to his millions of followers worldwide. The overwhelmingly positive feedback confirmed the activation’s success, with Edward Bord, Founder of Breeze, observing “I saw in real life, it looked great and there was a real buzz around the activation!” and Bero CEO John Herman sharing “It was so amazing to see everyone’s hard work pay off for many fulfilling and incredible moments throughout the week!” As new clients to Smyle, these exceptional results have established a strong foundation for our ongoing relationships, and we’re thrilled about the potential for future collaborations with both Shopify and Bero as they continue to expand their presence in the UK market.
6. How did it make you feel afterwards?
One thing I absolutely love about my job is getting to see people’s passions and ideas come to life – there’s something magical about taking someone’s vision and turning it into a tangible, buzzing reality that exceeds their expectations. Building that bond and earning the trust from clients who believe in our ability to deliver success for them is always the most rewarding part of what we do. Walking away from this project, we felt energised and genuinely excited about what we could achieve next, knowing we’d established strong foundations for future partnerships with these incredible brands.
