Christmas remains one of the most powerful moments in the calendar for public space brand experience. For malls, retail, shopping centres, museums, galleries and even music festivals, it is the season that brings families and friends together, drives record foot traffic and creates the conditions for meaningful connection between brands and their audiences.
Audiences now expect more than festive decor. The strongest Christmas brand activations create opportunities for people to take part, share moments and feel joy together. They transform a visit into an experience, extending dwell time, sparking UGC and building memories that last beyond the season.
For brands, this shift matters. A well-designed interactive Christmas activation is no longer a seasonal extra, it is a strategic tool that delivers measurable impact. Research from the FutureLabs State of Brand Experience in 2025 shows that 91% of consumers are more inclined to purchase after participating in an IRL experience and 68% feel more connected to public spaces when digital interactivity is involved.
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In this article we highlight five activation formats set to define Christmas activations 2025. Each demonstrates how brands and places can design festive experiences that strengthen customer connection, build awareness and leave a lasting impression well beyond the season.
Finding the right present is one of the biggest stress points of the festive season. The Christmas Gift Finder transforms that challenge into an interactive experience that feels useful, fun and rewarding for shoppers.
Shoppers can search for ideas based on budget, categories or who they’re buying for. Results highlight products stocked by local retailers in the centre, with the option to send ideas straight to their phone. Retailers can layer in coupons or discounts to drive immediate conversion, and shoppers can be incentivised through prize draws to boost participation.
The format is flexible. It can be delivered as a large installation in high traffic zones, smaller kiosks placed throughout the shopping centre or through QR code signage that links to a mobile tool. Centres can also extend it online, allowing customers to browse gift ideas from home.
Why it works for audiences: It reduces festive stress, helps families save time and turns shopping into a game-like discovery process.
What it delivers for brands: Increased dwell time, data capture, promotional opportunities for retailers and stronger customer awareness. It positions the centre as both festive and functional, supporting sales while enhancing the visitor experience.
The Interactive Walking Piano is built to be walked on, danced on and played. Each step triggers light and sound, turning foot steps into music. Families dance, children experiment, friends film and share. Within minutes, a public space becomes a stage for all ages.
The piano is designed big enough to transform the mood of a shopping centre or festival or flexible enough to scale for smaller events. It can anchor the centre of a shopping mall, feature in a festival line-up or transform a public square into a stage. The design is modular and can be scaled to suit the space, styled with custom lights, sound and branding, and enhanced with add-ons like photo or video capture for instant social sharing.
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Why it works for audiences
Research shows that interactive art and placemaking improve positive perception of space by more than 50 percent, increase the likelihood of repeat visits by 2.3 times and lift memory recall when sound is involved by over 60 percent. In practice, that means visitors are more engaged, stay longer and are more likely to share the experience.
What it delivers for brands
The piano can be framed, lit and styled to align with a retailer, council or event theme, making it both an attraction and a brand asset. Add-ons like photo or video capture extend its reach online, turning participation into instantly shareable content.
A successful event creates an experience people cannot resist sharing and the AI Photobooth delivers exactly that. Guests step up, strike a pose and within seconds receive a one-of-a-kind image or video generated by AI. It might be a stylised portrait, a playful transformation or a branded artwork that feels like it belongs on their feed.
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The AI Photobooth is endlessly adaptable. It can be scaled for impact with a large kiosk in a shopping centre, designed for intimacy with a smaller station in a retail pop-up, or delivered through a mobile website so audiences can join in from their own device. For larger campaigns, immersive rooms and custom builds add sound, light and theatrical presence that draw crowds and keep people engaged.
Why it works for audiences
It taps into the universal desire for self-expression. People love seeing themselves reimagined, and when they help shape the outcome they are three times more likely to share it. Instead of a standard photo, visitors leave with content that feels personal, surprising and worth posting.
What it delivers for brands
It extends reach far beyond the moment. Each output carries campaign branding, hashtags and messaging, spreading awareness through organic social channels. For retail activations, public events and cultural spaces, the AI Photobooth amplifies visibility, strengthens connection with audiences and positions the brand at the forefront of interactive marketing.
Nothing signals Christmas quite like light and sound. A custom installation takes that tradition further, turning public spaces into immersive landmarks that people actively seek out. Visitors gather, take photos and share the spectacle online, while the space itself becomes a festive destination.
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FutureLabs has delivered this kind of work across Australia from the GPT Pillars of Country, where responsive LED columns told stories of place and culture, to Mildura Placemaking, where light, mist and sound combined to create a multisensory experience along Langtree Mall. The same thinking applies at Christmas, where dynamic lighting sequences, music and interactive triggers can turn a square, plaza or shopping centre into a shared moment of wonder.
Why it works for audiences
It creates atmosphere and memory. Light and sound draw people in, transform the ordinary into the extraordinary and invite families to experience a place together. The installations are accessible to all ages and designed to be photographed, shared and revisited.
What it delivers for brands
It increases foot traffic, extends dwell time and positions the destination as a must-visit location during the festive period. For councils and shopping centres, it strengthens identity and encourages repeat visitation. For retailers, it translates into higher awareness and more opportunities for engagement.
Gamification brings a layer of discovery and fun to public space. For Christmas, it can transform a retail precinct or city square into a festive gameboard where families explore, unlock rewards and collect moments together. Instead of passively visiting, people are invited to play.
FutureLabs has delivered similar experiences in other contexts, from a Grand Prix inspired racing challenge that placed players inside an immersive digital track, to an Interactive Motion Tennis Game where real world swings translated into 3D gameplay, and mobile gamification with Mastercard x AO Play & Win, which extended the event experience directly to fans’ devices. The same approach can be applied to Christmas activations, with families scanning QR codes, chasing clues and winning prizes as they move through a shopping centre or festival precinct.
Why it works for audiences
It turns a visit into a journey. Families and young audiences enjoy the sense of play and discovery, and the chance to win or unlock something along the way. Rather than a one off moment, gamification creates an extended narrative that keeps people coming back.
Discover how we deliver Christmas activations that work →
What it delivers for brands
It increases repeat visitation, drives retail spend and provides measurable data on customer journeys. It positions the shopping centre or public space activation as innovative and interactive, while building stronger awareness and loyalty for participating retailers and partners.
At FutureLabs, we see Christmas as a chance to do more than decorate. It is a time to create experiences that feel inclusive and joyful, while also delivering clear outcomes for the places and brands behind them. The activations we have highlighted, from gift finders and walking pianos to AI photobooths, light installations and gamification, are built to increase dwell time, spark user generated content and drive meaningful community engagement.
Looking ahead to Christmas 2025? We are seeking collaborators across councils, retail and placemaking who want to deliver something extraordinary for their audiences this year. Let’s design experiences that bring people together and make your space the destination of the season.
