'80 years in the making': an experiential installation for Age UK Norwich

Recently, we landed something special in the heart of our home city. An experiential brand space for Age UK Norwich, in celebration of their 80^th birthday (which coincides with 80 years since VE Day).  

What started as a request for simple event support quickly turned into something much bigger. 

As we listened to Age UK Norwich’s story, from its founding during the final year of the Second World War to the life-changing work they continue to do today, we saw an opportunity to push further. And with the charity sector being notoriously hard to shout about, we knew that if we were to help, we wanted to do so in way that genuinely helped Age UK to communicate their value. 

What if we went bigger and better, and created a full-scale experiential space that made a real splash, bang in the city centre? 

Experiential marketing in Norwich

Walk around London, and you’ll find no end of brand activations and pop-ups.  

That’s not the case in Norwich. And for a city vibrant with creativity and some fantastic local brands, it’s a hugely missed opportunity. 

Research shares that multi-sensory experiences cause a 20% rise in purchase intention. They increase emotional connection by 60%. And a huge 87% of consumers believe experiential marketing has a greater impact on their emotions than other advertising channels.  

Awareness and engagement are crucial for brands of all sectors. But for a charity like Age UK Norwich, getting people to pay attention and connect with the cause is critical to their survival.  

Designing an interactive experience

With real-life connection in mind, we set about designing a space that doesn’t just tell the story – it engages and invites people in.  

This quickly took shape in a series of ‘zones’. Each worked at different speeds to share an important story, while balancing a careful narrative between hope and the harsher realities still faced in our community. 

3D design visuals, created by Image Experiential

Interactivity was key. From a letter-writing task to a photo wall, visual content to audio tapes, we engaged (almost) all the senses in an interactive and memorable

experience.

The result was a space that people stopped and spent time in. They absorbed information better than they would’ve from simply reading a display board. Conversations were prompted, and visitors walked away with new knowledge and Age UK Norwich top-of-mind.  

Getting eyes on Age UK

But before connection and engagement is even possible, the first challenge for all brands (and particularly charities) is getting noticed.

Someone might pass a charity shop every day on their commute, and never register that it’s there. Add in a donation bucket and sadly, people tend to look the other way.

We wanted to make sure that looking away was impossible. So with a big, bold, physical presence, Age UK Norwich were hard to miss.

With the exhibition as an anchor, the Age UK Norwich team drew on their entire marketing mix to amplify the message even further.

Social media content, email marketing, PR and partnerships, and a big launch event all drew more people in. In fact, the scale of the exhibition created such a buzz that the story was picked up by several local news outlets, resulting in TV and radio coverage too!

The combination of these multi-channel efforts, enabled by the event, meant that Age UK Norwich could shout louder, reach new audiences, and drive their message home.

Turning attention into action

The result in the short term, has been an increase of people talking about critical issues and donating. It’s also led more older people to find out about Age UK Norwich’s services, and some to seek support where they might not have otherwise. 

But the biggest benefits of brand-building, aided by increased awareness and salience, are always in the long-term. For Age UK Norwich, this could lead someone to become a voluntary Befriender for an older person. It could help the charity come to mind when somebody’s looking for a corporate sponsor, or running a marathon and searching for a charity to support. And in the future, more older people will know where to find support should they need it.

Dan Skipper, CEO of Age UK Norwich, described the exhibition simply as "legendary". He also said:

“[It’s] absolutely amazing. I said “wow” out loud when I walked up the Forum steps. [...] I can't express enough the impact this will have, and it’s been great having you part of our telling our story.” 

Bringing big ideas to life

We’re incredibly proud to have helped Age UK Norwich mark this milestone, drawing on the skills of our entire team to bring it to life. From marketing consultancy to planning and project management, to 3D and graphic design, to carpentry and production. We were very grateful to collaborate with our friends at CIM too, who generously sponsored the production of the signage elements.

We’re excited to be showing other brands in our region the added impact that experiential marketing can bring. We believe local businesses and charities across all sectors deserve access to these powerful tools, to take ownership of their business objectives and make a real impact. 

After all, in the words of Megan Durrant (Marketing & Comms Lead, Age UK Norwich), “when you put your investment into something physical, the benefits can be much bigger than you’d ever expect.” 

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While the event is over, you can still support Age UK Norwich as they strive to fundraise £80,000 in 2025. Find out how here.  

Or if you’re curious about how experiential marketing could transform your marketing, get in touch for a chat. We’d love to hear from you.