Organic children's food brand Ella's Kitchen recently held a pop-up event at Surrey's Royal Botanic Gardens targeted at and starring 150 baby consumers. The playful event, entitled 'the Big Wean,' saw the army of babies being exposed to a variety of new flavors and foods in Ella's Kitchen's healthy pouches. The event also featured a sensory-based play area with plenty of colorful toys and veggies.
The event was poised to be the world's largest "weaning" event, meaning the largest number of babies in one place in the process of weaning off a mother's milk as the sole food.
The celebration of discovery and exploration is arguably one of the first branded activations to put babies in the spotlight, but is largely predicated on the concerns of millennial parents in providing children with the best possible nutritional value in all the foods they consume.
Baby Food Brand Activations
Ella's Kitchen Hosted a Pop-up Event Featuring 150 Baby Consumers
Trend Themes
1. Baby-led Weaning - With organic and healthy baby food on the rise, there is a growing trend of baby-led weaning where parents introduce solid foods at an earlier age.
2. Sensory-based Events - More brands may start to hold sensory-based events for babies and toddlers, providing a unique way to engage with millennial parents and introduce them to new products.
3. Interactive Packaging - As companies look for ways to differentiate their products, interactive packaging could become a trend in the baby food industry, such as incorporating games or toys on the packaging to engage with babies and toddlers.
Industry Implications
1. Baby Food - The baby food industry could continue to innovate with new products and packaging that appeal to millennial parents' desire for organic and healthy options.
2. Event Planning - Event planning companies could look to create more sensory-based events for babies and toddlers as a unique way for brands to engage with millennial parents and their children.
3. Toy Manufacturing - Toy manufacturers could collaborate with baby food brands to create play sets and toys that incorporate healthy foods and help promote healthy eating habits at a young age.