Looking to enter the fray of the e-cigarette market, British American Tobacco were looking to throw a bit of a party to celebrate its launch, put the spotlight on their new Vype brand and product and position it as an innovative and fresh new addition in the market, in line with its new technology.

And so, for Vype’s grand launch, the #vypesocial pop-up bar popped open its doors to the public as the UK’s first e-cigarette bar, dedicated to getting the product into the consumer’s hands to try and creating fun, innovative social activities that both smokers and non-smokers alike could experience together to to create conversation and discussions online and off and shift perceptions on the subject of vaping indoors – now characterised as ‘Vyping’.

As business development and marketing coordinator, I worked on the pitch for Vype’s launch campaign, planning the activity following the win and setting off into London’s trendiest spot, Shoreditch, to find and lock down the venue that would transform into #vypesocial. Once the campaign kicked off, I researched and visited select offices in the surrounding area to spread the word about #vypesocial and dish out deals and special offers to get the ball rolling.

I also got roped into the speed dating night and nobody liked me. I cried for weeks.

[singlepic id=168 w=405 h=305 float=center]

[singlepic id=165 w=310 h=210 float=left]The #vypesocial e-cigarette bar popped up for 5 weeks with a whole host of social experiences for smokers and non-smokers including live music, retro movie and gaming nights, karaoke and rap battles, and for the brave, dim sum made from real insects to get stuck into. A Twitter activated vending machine also dispensed free samples of Vype in exchange for the low, low cost of following Vype and tweeting #freeVYPEsample.

The bar aimed to reunite smokers and non-smokers to define new social rules and spark debate around how e-cigarettes can replace real cigarette smoking and what impact this would have on social events replicated in the venue.

[singlepic id=215 w=405 h=305 float=center]