7 Branding Moves That Made Us Take Notice
Branding isn’t just iconic logos and witty taglines anymore.
It’s theatre.
Some of the most powerful branding moments in recent years haven’t come from polished ad campaigns or celebrity endorsements. They’ve come from letting the product do the talking. Sampling (when done right) can be transformative, brilliant and unforgettable.
Here are seven branding moves that made us sit up, pay attention and sometimes queue around the block.
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Oatly Took to the Streets (and to the People)
Before oat milk was a default coffee order, it was a niche choice. Then Oatly rolled up with free samples at food festivals, train stations, independent coffee shops, and student campuses. There was no hard sell, no leaflets, just the carton, the taste, and a team of very friendly humans.
What made it work? They didn’t try to win over everyone. They zeroed in on the curious and the conscious, letting the product’s creamy texture and plant-based USPs do the talking.
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Glossier’s Pop-Up Magic
Glossier’s rise to cult status hinged on one principle: community first, sales second. However, the brand’s Soho pop-up in 2019 took sampling to a new level. It wasn’t just about slapping on a sample of Boy Brow. It was about letting customers play. Think glossy countertops, giant pink mirrors and testers for every product in the line.
It was creative, interactive, and whipped up by marketing visionaries.
You didn’t walk in and feel sold to. You walked in and felt part of the brand. The samples were everywhere, but the magic was in the freedom to use them, photograph them, and share the experience.
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Tony’s Chocolonely and the Airport Gate
Who expects a full-sized bar of ethically made chocolate to be handed to them at an airport gate? Tony’s Chocolonely ran that kind of activation in European airports, pairing product education with sheer surprise.
The catch? You could only take the bar if you agreed to hear why their supply chain is different and why it matters. Genius. You didn’t just leave with chocolate. You went with a story to tell. And a new brand to follow.
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Halo Top’s Ice Cream Truck for Grown-Ups
When Halo Top launched in the UK, they knew British audiences might be sceptical about “healthy” ice cream. So they rolled out an ice cream van but made it millennial with oversized cones, pastel branding, and real samples in real cones.
People genuinely enjoyed the taste and were shocked it was low-calorie. The product overcame the perception. That’s sampling at its best.
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Ritual’s Direct Mail Campaign That Didn’t Feel Like One
Subscription vitamin brand Ritual knew its audience: health-conscious, slightly sceptical, and wary of spammy ads. So, instead of bombarding feeds, they sent a small, beautifully branded box to select potential customers. Inside? A single day’s dose in a chic, recyclable sachet.
This wasn’t just clever branding. It was confidence in the product. And for a brand entering a space full of questionable claims, it made a real statement: we’ve got nothing to hide.
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Pret’s Coffee Subscription Sampling Stunt
Pret’s coffee subscription was already a bold move—five drinks a day for a flat monthly fee. But the sampling campaign they launched in tandem was even more daring. For two weeks, they handed out thousands of free barista-made coffees in key London locations, pushing one message: taste it, then decide.
People who hadn’t stepped foot in a Pret for years suddenly queued to try a flat white. The result? Subscriptions soared, and Pret’s reputation shifted, becoming the go-to for many.
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Billie’s “We Shave Because We Want To” Packs
US razor brand Billie made waves with its body-positive stance and refusal to “pink tax” women’s products. But it was their direct sampling move that shook things up. They sent out free starter packs with razors, blade refills, and aloe strip balm to first-time customers.
The packaging was playful. The message was clear. And the feel of the razor? Genuinely different from the flimsy, overpriced alternatives most women had come to accept. Word spread fast. And a new default razor was born.
When Sampling Goes Beyond a Freebie
Too often, sampling is reduced to a forgotten sachet in a tote bag or a rushed stand in a busy station.
The truth is, it can be so much more. In the hands of innovative sampling agencies, it becomes theatre, story, loyalty, and a memory that sticks far beyond first taste or first test.
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