When you are organising a high-profile brand activation over a busy half-term weekend, the pressure to stand out is huge. Promotional giveaways often get tucked away and forgotten. Live personalisation, in contrast, transforms even the simplest promotional giveaways into objects of desire. Watching the live personalisation itself is an experience guests talk about long after they leave the store.
In October I had the the privilege to engrave live at the launch of Molly Mae x Adidas new trainers launch at JD Sports at the Trafford Center in Manchester. Here is a look inside the three-day live engraving activation, as well as the planning and preparation that kept everything running seamlessly on the busy shop floor.
The activation
To celebrate the launch of the new Molly Mae x Adidas trainer collection at JD Sports in The Trafford Centre, the brand team wanted to give shoppers a unique reward. Customers who purchased the new trainers received a complimentary Molly Mae x Adidas tote bag alongside a custom-engraved gift.
Shoppers could choose between a branded metal compact mirror or a key ring, both personalised on the spot with their name or initials (by yours truly).
Having an engraving station positioned right at the store entrance created immediate visual intrigue and set a premium tone for the entire launch.
I love events where the engraving takes centre stage, rather than an afterthought in the corner. However this is a high stakes approach: a hard to engrave surface coupled with a busy school holiday weekend with big brands and VIPs… in event planners’ language this means ‘no room for error’!
To make sure everything run beautifully during the activation a lot of work was done before we even got to the first engraving. Here is a snapshot of some of the prep work that ensured the event was a success.
Brand considerations
Before the event, we agreed on a bespoke lettering style that incorporated feminine flourishes while maintaining a modern aesthetic. This ensured the hand-engraved names complemented the Adidas and JD Sports logos on the mirrors.
Hand engraving on metal
While I love engraving on metal, I think compact mirrors are one of the hardest surfaces to work on. The uncoated metal is naturally slippy and the reflective surface is itself a challenge.
The engraving has to be done with confidence and a steady hand because once the diamond burr touches the surface there is no margin for error.
Engraving in front of a crowd is also completely different from studio engraving, where you have all the time in the world and nobody is watching (or filming!) In the middle of a busy shopping centre there is nowhere to hide. Artistry is not enough – every personalisation has to be stunning, to be completed with no hassle for the customer and be delivered with a smile.
Leaning on experience and preparation really helps me and one of my best prep ideas was creating a custom template. This allowed me to draft names onto the mirrors in seconds without guessing scale or positioning. I was so glad I thought of this as over the three days I engraved close to 500 pieces. My handy custom template saved hours of drafting and ensured consistency across every engraved item. Preparation literally paid off!
Managing customer flow
For event managers, one of the biggest worries is a long queue at the personalisation station. I think there is a thin line between a popular engraving and a hectic engraving table. A negative customer experience would reflect poorly on the brand, and so nothing can be left to chance.
Here are some of the ways we managed the customer flow:
Before the event
Pre-event briefing. We discussed the event timeline, the teams involved and how everything fits together.
Testing samples. Testing the items before the event is the simplest way to avoid problems on the day. This is when I came up with the idea of the custom template. During the event the template allowed me to draft names onto the mirrors in seconds and reduce the time each engraving took.
Testing also helped get an accurate estimation of the time each engraving took. This meant customers were given a precise collection time so they could continue to enjoy their day rather than queue.
As part of the testing I also engraved a set of mirrors for Molly Mae and her team. These came handy when she was creating some content for the campaign.
Managing the customer experience on the day
Dedicated order forms: The client had designed and printed branded in-take forms that were not just practical but elevated the overall experience. They were used to note down exact spelling and contact details and give each customer a clear collection time so they could continue shopping rather than standing in line.
Brand Ambassador Support: A team of amazing brand ambassadors managed the majority of customer interactions. They explained the personalisation process, and handed over completed items without me having to pause the engraving.
But they did much more than that. The engraving station became a natural focal point where customers paused and asked questions about the Molly Mae x Adidas range, the sizing and the available stock. The helpful brand ambassadors were on hand to answer every question making sure every customer left with a smile.
Good preparation and a structured process kept everything running smoothly. It also meant everyone, not just the customers, loved being a part of the activation, and genuinely enjoyed the three days’ event. I am certain that the joy comes through in the energy and the smiles that everyone showed up with.
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Personal notes: influencers, high demand, and almost running out of stock!
The energy at The Trafford Centre across the weekend was non-stop!
The mornings started with professional videography captures of content for Adidas and JD Sports. As a former agency designer I loved observing the different creative approach of each videographer. I can’t wait to see how the final clips turn out!
Another fun experience was the celeb spotting! Across the weekend, local Manchester creators and influencers, like Love Island’s Mary Bedford, dropped by to film content. On Saturday, excitement peaked when Molly Mae visited the Trafford Center. She didn’t come to the engraving station but the excitement in the store was palpable regardless.
The response to the live personalisation was immediate. Customers were asking how to get a personalised mirror before they had even picked up their shoe size. Over the three days, we personalised hundreds of metal mirrors and key rings, almost exhausting our gift stock by the end of Sunday afternoon!
My client kindly shared this about the event:
100% amazing! Everyone wanted one and this is a testament to how good your engraving is!
Final thoughts
Live personalisation offers guests a memorable connection to your brand, but execution is key. When technical prep, clear queue management, and skilled craftsmanship come together, your activation runs effortlessly and leaves a lasting impression.
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In October I had the the privilege to engrave live at the launch of Molly Mae x Adidas new trainers launch at JD Sports at the Trafford Center in Manchester. Here is a look inside the three-day live engraving activation, as well as the planning and preparation that kept everything running seamlessly on the busy shop floor.