M&S, E.On and Walgreens (Boots) are the latest brands to sign up for MAD//Fest London’s ‘House of Innovation’ and supply pitch briefs for the festival, which takes place on 5-7 July at The Old Truman Brewery. 

The new briefs focus on ‘Powering conversations and inspiring people towards a sustainable future’ (E.On); ‘Bringing world class digital customer experiences to physical stores’ (M&S); and ‘Promoting and enabling personalised healthcare’ (Walgreens).

Coca-Cola, AB InBev and McCormick will also host start-up innovation pitches on connecting, engaging and influencing shoppers, engaging consumers in a digital world, and encouraging people to do more home cooking.

Hosted by innovation specialists Co:Cubed, the pitches see top global brands supply marketing challenges and pilot funds for start-ups exhibiting in MAD//Fest’s ‘House of Innovation’. Combined the pitches are worth more than £100k.

“Marketing and brands have the potential to be huge forces for good in the world, especially now,” said  Scott Somerville, E.ON’s Head of Brand & Marketing.

“E.ON is excited to help encourage innovation and new thinking , needed across the board to deliver work that is both vibrant and progressive. Through working with Starcom (pitch sponsor) and MAD//Fest on this challenge we’re looking to find a new element that can elevate our efforts to get people to make meaningful changes that will help combat the climate crisis.”

“We are excited to be working with Co:Cubed and MAD//Fest on our latest brand challenge. As the world's largest brewer, ABInBev is searching for solutions and products that create personalised engagement with consumers of beer and other beverages. The product should provide recurring value so that users come back to it at least once a month. We can't wait to collaborate and develop new innovative ideas with the start-up community,” added Toni Radzihovska, AB InBev’s Global Director, Digital Consumer Products.

Meanwhile, Marco Levy, Coca-Cola Europacific Partners’ Director, Business Development said: "How do you go about breaking long-standing habits and encourage shoppers to try something new? We're excited to be engaging MAD//Fest's startup community and can't wait to see the innovative solutions on show that can help our customers to explore our range of iconic brands." 

Pitch host and Co:Cubed Founder & CEO Jeremy Basset said the strength of the line-up reflects a growing trend for brands to find solutions to challenges through collaboration with start-ups: “The appetite for addressing brand challenges through start-up innovation grows stronger as technology, consumer behaviour and cultural trends change the marketing game. 

 “We’ve lined-up 6 major advertisers and 35 disruptive start-ups to discover solutions and forge working relationships via £20k pilots in real time. If you’re a brand owner or agency looking for new and innovative technology to help you overcome marketing challenges, MAD//Fest’s House of Innovation is the place to be this summer!”, he added.

Over 8000 brands, agencies and media owners are expected to attend 2022’s ‘No Guts, No Glory’ themed MAD//Fest London. Highlights include:

  • Burberry’s adventures in the metaverse with Global VP Innovation Rachel Waller
  • Sir Martin Sorrell’s disruption forecast
  • Legendary comedian David Baddiel’s view on what brands can do about toxic social media as Web 3.0 takes shape
  • Rory Sutherland’s masterclass on the art of taking calculated risks
  • Broadcaster and critic Jay Rayner and Rory Sutherland talk restaurants + what marketers can learn from them
  • Diageo Global CMO Cristina Diezhandino on using marketing to drive positive change

Click here to secure your ticket.