Manuka Health SxSW Brand Launch

Manuka Health launched its new beauty line at SxSW through a two-day immersive gallery experience that brought the hidden world of honeybees to life.

The exhibition centered on large-scale ultraviolet lightbox photography by National Geographic photographer Craig P. Burrows, showing flora and fauna as bees see them. The experience connected Manuka Health’s New Zealand origin story, honeybee science, and emerging beauty positioning through a highly visual, educational, and culture-forward brand moment. The goal was to create a high-visibility launch moment that could drive consumer discovery, press interest, lead capture, and credibility for Manuka Health’s expansion into beauty.

The event generated 1K+ new leads.

The launch extended beyond the gallery with VIP programming, press outreach, and a companion book, What the Bee Sees created in collaboration with Burrows. The book became a #1 Amazon bestseller within its first week, with press coverage including The New York Times and National Geographic.

Role + Scope
Experience strategy and gallery development
Business case development and senior stakeholder management
Guest journey, programming, and on-site execution
Venue sourcing, city permitting, insurance coordination, and budget management
Vendor management across lightbox production, creative agency partners, rentals, food and beverage, musicians, and on-site production support
Promotional partnerships, press coordination, signage, swag, and printed collateral