iMP makes tax sweeter with multi-city tour for Tide
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Fintech platform Tide partners with experiential agency iMP for a data-led sampling roadshow across London, Manchester and Brighton to demystify Making Tax Digital.Experiential agency iMP has delivered a high-impact, multi-city brand activation for business banking platform Tide, designed to humanise financial administration and drive engagement around Making Tax Digital (MTD) deadlines.
The “Making Tax Sweeter” campaign saw iMP transform its vintage promotional vehicle, ‘Vanessa’, into a vibrant pink and blue branded ice cream van hub. Over five activation days, the tour visited high-footfall commercial districts and transport hubs across the UK, including central Manchester, London Victoria Station, London Broadgate, and Brighton.
To cut through financial jargon and engage small business owners, freelancers, and sole traders during busy working hours, iMP created a tax-themed sensory menu. Offerings included tongue-in-cheek options such as Self-assess Mint, VAT-nilla, and PAYE-stachio, served alongside custom toppings like Declare your Hundreds and Thousands.
The activation footprint combined the fully wrapped promo van with a branded gazebo, outdoor seating area, and clear call-to-action A-boards. Passersby received freshly scooped ice cream paired with direct QR-code journeys leading to free MTD filing tools and business account signups.
By positioning the experiential footprint directly within major commuter corridors and financial hubs, the campaign intercepted target business demographics within their natural daily routines. The combination of live vehicle theatre, steady queue dynamics, and lighthearted financial messaging generated continuous visual momentum and high-intent digital conversions.
David Gibbons, Managing Director at iMP, commented:
“If you want to talk to entrepreneurs, sole traders, and self-employed people about Making Tax Digital, you have to make it engaging and culturally aligned. Bringing our vintage promo van back out in Tide’s vibrant branding allowed us to turn a complex financial topic into an approachable, memorable street-level conversation.”
iMP managed end-to-end execution for the campaign, covering vehicle production, venue leasing permissions, cold-chain logistics, HACCP food safety compliance, and specialist event staffing.