Whenever a brand sponsors a major event or concert, the playbook usually looks the same: put up a few banners, hand out some flyers, and hope people remember your name the next morning.
Most of the time, they don't. Once the music starts and the crowd settles in, standard signage just blends into the background.
When Negombo was getting ready for its biggest beach party of the year, MMR 26 (Maris Motor Rally), featuring the international ABBA tribute band alongside local favorites C Plus and The Warehouse Project, our client, TukTuk Wine & Dine, wanted to do something completely different.
They didn't just want their logo on a stage banner. They wanted an event activation that would get the crowd physically involved, talking about the brand, and engaging with them long after the concert ended.
So, we decided to put four locked cages at the venue with prizes locked inside, and we made the crowd compete for the codes to open them.
The Idea: 4 Booths, 4 Cages, and a 10 PM Deadline
To get people away from passive watching and into active participation, you need curiosity and a bit of healthy competition.
We set up four activation booths across the venue, each featuring a locked cage holding exclusive prize packs inside. Anyone walking past could see the prizes, which immediately sparked the obvious question: "How do I open it?"
Instead of handing out paper raffle tickets that end up on the floor, we connected the physical cages to a digital campaign people could play right on their phones.
We developed two custom mobile games for the night and split them across the four booths:
- 2 Booths ran a Custom Quiz Game: We tested players with quick, fun questions built around the MMR 26 event and the TukTuk Wine & Dine brand.
- 2 Booths ran a Spin-the-Wheel Game: Built for fast, high-energy participation where concertgoers could test their luck on the spot.
Right next to each cage was a QR code. You scanned the code, played the game at that booth, and submitted your contact details to lock in your entry.
The hook was simple: the highest scorers by 10:00 PM would get a live phone call from our team with the secret code to unlock the cages and claim the prizes.
Behind the Scenes: Making It Work on the Ground
Having a great campaign idea is only half the job. When you are running live event activations in Negombo with thousands of people around, the on-ground execution makes or breaks the night.
Before the gates opened, I spent time on-site briefing the ground staff across all four booths. Everything had to feel effortless for the crowd. Our team needed to know how to pull people in, explain the 10:00 PM deadline in ten seconds or less, and keep the energy high around the cages between band sets.
Once the crowd started rolling in, the cages did their job. One person scanning the QR code turned into groups of friends gathering around the booths, comparing scores, and trying to beat the leaderboard before the 10:00 PM cutoff.
The Results: 400+ Leads Straight Into a Custom CRM
By the time 10:00 PM hit and we made the calls with the unlock codes, more than 400 people had actively participated in the activation and engaged with TukTuk Wine & Dine in a single night.
For a business owner, here is the part that actually matters: what happens after the event is over.
Usually, event sponsorships end the moment the lights go out. Because we combined a physical event activation with a smart digital campaign, TukTuk Wine & Dine didn't just get one night of hype. Every single one of those 400+ participants submitted their details straight into a custom CRM we built specifically for the brand.
Instead of walking away with vague "brand awareness," the client walked away with:
- Over 400 verified local customer contacts organized neatly in their own CRM, ready for future promotions and digital campaigns.
- Real brand recall because people spent time answering questions about TukTuk Wine & Dine while competing for the cages.
- Word-of-mouth buzz that had people talking about the activation days after MMR 26 wrapped up.
Want to Run a Campaign People Actually Talk About?
At Augmatic Labs, we help businesses move past forgettable ads and static posts. Whether it is designing creative event activations, running targeted digital campaigns, or building custom tools like the CRM that captured all 400+ leads from this event, we build marketing systems that bring in real customers.
If you have an upcoming event, launch, or campaign in Negombo or anywhere in Sri Lanka, and want to do something your audience will actually remember, get in touch with us here.
