A softly animated word-cloud banner featuring feedback words like “work,” “creating,” “great,” “awesome,” and “love” drifting subtly in the background, with Brian Dickett’s logo, name, and the tagline “Clear stories for brands worth noticing” in the foreground.

Live Experiences and Activations

CASE STUDY: International Trade-Show Brand Experience

CLIENT

The Hidden Sea Wines

ROLE

Creative Lead / Brand Environment & Trade-Show Experience Design

WHAT THEY WANTED

A high-impact brand presence for The Hidden Sea’s China market push at the 2025 China Food & Drinks Fair in Chengdu—one of China’s major wine and spirits trade events.

The experience needed to make the brand feel serious, distinctive, and commercially credible, while communicating its ocean-saving story across language and market barriers.

WHAT THEY GOT

A complete trade-show brand environment developed from limited initial inputs and built across every major touchpoint: a 40′ x 40′ branded event booth, illuminated exterior signage, interior banners, booth layout, environmental graphics, product brochures, sell sheets, print-ready production files, in-booth video content, and lighting direction.

The final environment gave The Hidden Sea a premium physical presence designed for buyer conversations, partner confidence, and international market-entry momentum. Booth concepts also included lighting and atmospheric direction intended to evoke an immersive undersea environment.

WHAT HAPPENED

The Hidden Sea’s presence at the Chengdu fair became a substantial international presentation for the brand.

Internal trip notes described the stand as impressive, consistently busy, and generating a palpable buzz among customers, with the local team showing strong pride and care in execution. The brand presentation helped support a more credible, high-ambition entry into China and contributed to renewed confidence around The Hidden Sea’s potential in the market.

Collage showing a branded “The Hidden Sea” event booth at a food and drinks fair. The top section features booth design renderings alongside a photo of the finished display, with wine bottles arranged beneath a large screen and ocean-themed graphics across the counter. The bottom row shows event attendees posing near promotional signage, two guests holding wine bottles at the booth, and a large group raising glasses in celebration.
Collage of The Hidden Sea wine branding at an event venue in China. Two tall outdoor banners show oversized wine bottle graphics with English and Chinese sustainability messaging. Inside the venue, a large branded awards wall highlights wine scores and medals, while another booth display features illuminated bottles beneath the message “Every bottle sold removes plastic from the ocean.”

CASE STUDY: International Trade-Show Brand Experience

CLIENT

The Hidden Sea Wines

ROLE

Creative Lead / Brand Environment & Trade-Show Experience Design

WHAT THEY WANTED

A high-impact brand presence for The Hidden Sea’s China market push at the 2025 China Food & Drinks Fair in Chengdu—one of China’s major wine and spirits trade events.

The experience needed to make the brand feel serious, distinctive, and commercially credible, while communicating its ocean-saving story across language and market barriers.

WHAT THEY GOT

A complete trade-show brand environment developed from limited initial inputs and built across every major touchpoint: a 40′ x 40′ branded event booth, illuminated exterior signage, interior banners, booth layout, environmental graphics, product brochures, sell sheets, print-ready production files, in-booth video content, and lighting direction.

The final environment gave The Hidden Sea a premium physical presence designed for buyer conversations, partner confidence, and international market-entry momentum. Booth concepts also included lighting and atmospheric direction intended to evoke an immersive undersea environment.

WHAT HAPPENED

The Hidden Sea’s presence at the Chengdu fair became a substantial international presentation for the brand.

Internal trip notes described the stand as impressive, consistently busy, and generating a palpable buzz among customers, with the local team showing strong pride and care in execution. The brand presentation helped support a more credible, high-ambition entry into China and contributed to renewed confidence around The Hidden Sea’s potential in the market.

Collage showing a branded “The Hidden Sea” event booth at a food and drinks fair. The top section features booth design renderings alongside a photo of the finished display, with wine bottles arranged beneath a large screen and ocean-themed graphics across the counter. The bottom row shows event attendees posing near promotional signage, two guests holding wine bottles at the booth, and a large group raising glasses in celebration.
Collage of The Hidden Sea wine branding at an event venue in China. Two tall outdoor banners show oversized wine bottle graphics with English and Chinese sustainability messaging. Inside the venue, a large branded awards wall highlights wine scores and medals, while another booth display features illuminated bottles beneath the message “Every bottle sold removes plastic from the ocean.”
Collage of a Funlab and The Hidden Sea collaboration at a Holey Moley mini golf venue. Images show an ocean-plastic-themed course with hanging plastic bottles, fishing nets, a shark prop, broken boat pieces, and informational signage about marine plastic pollution. The bottom panel displays the Funlab and The Hidden Sea logos side by side.
Four vertical social ads for The Hidden Sea and Holey Moley partnership, using golf-themed messages to promote wine sales that remove ocean plastic. The designs feature bold headlines, ocean and golf course imagery, QR codes, product bottles, “Available Here” pricing, and campaign logos including Plastic Free July.

CASE STUDY: Brand Activation

CLIENT

The Hidden Sea Wines

ROLE

Creative Lead / Brand Activation & Environmental Experience Design

WHAT THEY WANTED

A bold, highly shareable partnership activation that aligns with FunLab Group’s ESG ambitions.

WHAT THEY GOT

A full Holey Moley mini-golf hole takeover that transformed an existing course feature into a theatrical “ocean of plastic” installation.

“Experience what it’s like to try to get something done while surrounded by ocean waste plastic. This is the life of more than 100 million marine animals who die each year from plastic waste alone… and they don’t even get to play golf!”

The concept combined storytelling, message-in-a-bottle elements, branded signage, a QR partnership website highlighting  up-to-date plastic removal as a result of FunLab customers choosing The Hidden Sea, partnership messaging, and a wider Earth Day campaign across FunLab venues.

Supporting rollout materials included posters, table talkers, bottle-message artwork, hole signage, banners, a custom website, and promotional assets designed to help the activation work across physical venues and digital channels.

WHAT HAPPENED

The activation generated media coverage across Australia, direct customer engagement through QR scans and social content, and a clear proof point for how experiential design could make ESG storytelling feel entertaining rather than instructional.

FunLab responded strongly enough to adapt the concept across additional locations in Australia, then into Denver, Colorado and Santa Monica, California, while pointing to The Hidden Sea partnership as part of its broader global ESG strategy.

CASE STUDY: Brand Activation

CLIENT

The Hidden Sea Wines

ROLE

Creative Lead / Brand Activation & Environmental Experience Design

WHAT THEY WANTED

A bold, highly shareable partnership activation that aligns with FunLab Group’s ESG ambitions.

WHAT THEY GOT

A full Holey Moley mini-golf hole takeover that transformed an existing course feature into a theatrical “ocean of plastic” installation.

“Experience what it’s like to try to get something done while surrounded by ocean waste plastic. This is the life of more than 100 million marine animals who die each year from plastic waste alone… and they don’t even get to play golf!”

The concept combined storytelling, message-in-a-bottle elements, branded signage, a QR partnership website highlighting  up-to-date plastic removal as a result of FunLab customers choosing The Hidden Sea, partnership messaging, and a wider Earth Day campaign across FunLab venues.

Supporting rollout materials included posters, table talkers, bottle-message artwork, hole signage, banners, a custom website, and promotional assets designed to help the activation work across physical venues and digital channels.

WHAT HAPPENED

The activation generated media coverage across Australia, direct customer engagement through QR scans and social content, and a clear proof point for how experiential design could make ESG storytelling feel entertaining rather than instructional.

FunLab responded strongly enough to adapt the concept across additional locations in Australia, then into Denver, Colorado and Santa Monica, California, while pointing to The Hidden Sea partnership as part of its broader global ESG strategy.

Collage of a Funlab and The Hidden Sea collaboration at a Holey Moley mini golf venue. Images show an ocean-plastic-themed course with hanging plastic bottles, fishing nets, a shark prop, broken boat pieces, and informational signage about marine plastic pollution. The bottom panel displays the Funlab and The Hidden Sea logos side by side.
Four vertical social ads for The Hidden Sea and Holey Moley partnership, using golf-themed messages to promote wine sales that remove ocean plastic. The designs feature bold headlines, ocean and golf course imagery, QR codes, product bottles, “Available Here” pricing, and campaign logos including Plastic Free July.

CASE STUDY: Event Sponsorship and Brand Activation

CLIENT

The Hidden Sea x FIVB Beach Volleyball World Championships Adelaide 2025

ROLE

Creative Lead / Sponsorship Strategy, Brand Activation & Event Design

WHAT THEY WANTED

A wine sponsorship plan for a major international sporting event that would elevate The Hidden Sea’s visibility, connect the brand’s ocean-saving mission to a beach setting, and create a memorable guest experience throughout the championships.

WHAT THEY GOT
  • A Hidden Sea sponsored pre-event beach cleanup with athletes, retail partners, Hidden Sea staff, and brand ambassadors
  • A Hidden Sea wine-garden with VIP seating, venue-wide printed collateral (from very large displays, to posters and table talkers), crowd-control barrier artwork, social media content, media planning, and staff support materials
  • Careful management of partner approvals, event-content rules, athlete/image rights, and distribution constraints
WHAT HAPPENED

The activation supported The Hidden Sea’s presence at an international beach-sport event and helped launch The Hidden Sea Frosé, a frozen wine slushie made from the brand’s award-winning Rosé.

The program also helped secure four permanent on-premise placements for The Hidden Sea wines and Frosé, including a full bar takeover at The Grand Bar in Adelaide.

THS-Event-2022-FIVB-WorldBeachVolleyballChampionships1
Collage showing The Hidden Sea’s brand presence at a beach volleyball event, including a branded drinks booth, menu boards, “Available Here” signage, wine and cocktail service, event coverage, volleyball courts, and guests enjoying drinks around the venue.
Collage showing The Hidden Sea’s permanent on-premise branding at Grand Bar for the Beach Volleyball World Championships Adelaide 2025, including branded bar-front panels, wine displays, ocean-themed graphics, and partner logos for The Hidden Sea, the championships, and Grand Bar.

CASE STUDY: Event Sponsorship and Brand Activation

CLIENT

The Hidden Sea x FIVB Beach Volleyball World Championships Adelaide 2025

ROLE

Creative Lead / Sponsorship Strategy, Brand Activation & Event Design

WHAT THEY WANTED

A wine sponsorship plan for a major international sporting event that would elevate The Hidden Sea’s visibility, connect the brand’s ocean-saving mission to a beach setting, and create a memorable guest experience throughout the championships.

WHAT THEY GOT
  • A Hidden Sea sponsored pre-event beach cleanup with athletes, retail partners, Hidden Sea staff, and brand ambassadors
  • A Hidden Sea wine-garden with VIP seating, venue-wide printed collateral (from very large displays, to posters and table talkers), crowd-control barrier artwork, social media content, media planning, and staff support materials
  • Careful management of partner approvals, event-content rules, athlete/image rights, and distribution constraints
WHAT HAPPENED

The activation supported The Hidden Sea’s presence at an international beach-sport event and helped launch The Hidden Sea Frosé, a frozen wine slushie made from the brand’s award-winning Rosé.

The program also helped secure four permanent on-premise placements for The Hidden Sea wines and Frosé, including a full bar takeover at The Grand Bar in Adelaide.

THS-Event-2022-FIVB-WorldBeachVolleyballChampionships1
Collage showing The Hidden Sea’s brand presence at a beach volleyball event, including a branded drinks booth, menu boards, “Available Here” signage, wine and cocktail service, event coverage, volleyball courts, and guests enjoying drinks around the venue.
Collage showing The Hidden Sea’s permanent on-premise branding at Grand Bar for the Beach Volleyball World Championships Adelaide 2025, including branded bar-front panels, wine displays, ocean-themed graphics, and partner logos for The Hidden Sea, the championships, and Grand Bar.
Vertical collage of The Hidden Sea’s SailGP event activations in Chicago, Copenhagen, and Plymouth. The images show branded wine displays, sailing races, waterfront lounge and bar areas, crowds at event booths, ocean-plastic awareness installations, and bottles of The Hidden Sea wine with SailGP reserved signage.
Vertical collage of The Hidden Sea’s SailGP event activations in Chicago, Copenhagen, and Plymouth. The images show branded wine displays, sailing races, waterfront lounge and bar areas, crowds at event booths, ocean-plastic awareness installations, and bottles of The Hidden Sea wine with SailGP reserved signage.

CASE STUDY: Premium Sports Hospitality and Brand Activation

CLIENT

The Hidden Sea x SailGP

ROLE

Creative Lead / Brand Presentation & Event Production

WHAT THEY WANTED

A premium brand presence for The Hidden Sea across SailGP events in Chicago, Copenhagen, and Plymouth—connecting the brand’s ocean-saving mission to a global sailing platform and giving VIP guests a memorable, high-status experience at the races.

WHAT THEY GOT

A multi-location event activation aligning The Hidden Sea and SailGP’s bold environmental missions.

Each event featured an exclusive VIP hospitality area with exceptional race views, branding, framed ocean photography, table talkers, roll-up banners, branded ice buckets, and the “Giant Plastic Tap” sculpture by acclaimed environmental artist Benjamin Von Wong.

The work required coordination across event operators, site teams, hospitality, printed materials, and brand presentation across three international event settings.

WHAT HAPPENED

Across three international markets, the activation turned The Hidden Sea’s cleanup mission into a premium race-day hospitality experience—giving guests, partners, and event audiences a direct way to understand why an ocean-positive wine brand belonged at SailGP.

The program helped position The Hidden Sea as a credible partner in ocean-focused storytelling, while giving the sponsorship a physical presence beyond logo placement.

CASE STUDY: Premium Sports Hospitality and Brand Activation

CLIENT

The Hidden Sea x SailGP

ROLE

Creative Lead / Brand Presentation & Event Production

WHAT THEY WANTED

A premium brand presence for The Hidden Sea across SailGP events in Chicago, Copenhagen, and Plymouth—connecting the brand’s ocean-saving mission to a global sailing platform and giving VIP guests a memorable, high-status experience at the races.

WHAT THEY GOT

A multi-location event activation aligning The Hidden Sea and SailGP’s bold environmental missions.

Each event featured an exclusive VIP hospitality area with exceptional race views, branding, framed ocean photography, table talkers, roll-up banners, branded ice buckets, and the “Giant Plastic Tap” sculpture by acclaimed environmental artist Benjamin Von Wong.

The work required coordination across event operators, site teams, hospitality, printed materials, and brand presentation across three international event settings.

WHAT HAPPENED

Across three international markets, the activation turned The Hidden Sea’s cleanup mission into a premium race-day hospitality experience—giving guests, partners, and event audiences a direct way to understand why an ocean-positive wine brand belonged at SailGP.

The program helped position The Hidden Sea as a credible partner in ocean-focused storytelling, while giving the sponsorship a physical presence beyond logo placement.

Vertical collage of The Hidden Sea’s SailGP event activations in Chicago, Copenhagen, and Plymouth. The images show branded wine displays, sailing races, waterfront lounge and bar areas, crowds at event booths, ocean-plastic awareness installations, and bottles of The Hidden Sea wine with SailGP reserved signage.
Vertical collage of The Hidden Sea’s SailGP event activations in Chicago, Copenhagen, and Plymouth. The images show branded wine displays, sailing races, waterfront lounge and bar areas, crowds at event booths, ocean-plastic awareness installations, and bottles of The Hidden Sea wine with SailGP reserved signage.