KIND Snacks at UCLA: Capturing a One-Day Brand Activation Through Photo + Video Production in California
Published on: December 3, 2025
Team photos with all the Brand Ambassadors before kick off for the event! We passed out over 10,000 snack bars!
November 13th is National Kindness Day—a date most people scroll past on social media without realizing it. But for KIND Snacks, that day is a core part of their brand identity. So when their team planned a one-day pop-up activation on the UCLA campus, they went big. We’re talking over 10,000 snack bars distributed, custom screen-printed merch, brand ambassadors fanning out to 30+ Greek houses, a color-in mural wall, a snack bar-shaped truck, and even a few life-sized KIND bars wandering around for good measure.
When NewBridge Marketing brought me in to capture this high-energy activation, the goals were clear: provide full photo and video coverage, work quickly, and deliver a polished video edit that same day so KIND could post in real time. No pressure, right?
In this post, I’m breaking down how I approached the project—from planning gear and time blocks to getting creative shots on a tight schedule—and how this kind of fast-paced event production can be a powerful brand storytelling tool when done right.
Understanding the Goals: Brand, Community, and Social Impact
From the beginning, KIND’s vision for the activation was rooted in their mission. They weren’t just giving away bars; they were sparking connection and community on a college campus, tied directly to National Kindness Day. It was a marketing event, yes, but one that needed to feel authentic—fun, spontaneous, interactive, and on-brand.
KIND had recently updated their branding and packaging, so this was also a chance to put their refreshed look front and center. With that in mind, everything at the event had been designed with intention. The four core brand colors appeared everywhere, from the mural station to the screen printing station. Even the merch (custom-printed bags and t-shirts) followed the color themes and featured playful, kindness-centered graphics.
Their PR team and marketing manager wanted the content I captured to serve multiple purposes. It needed to feel organic and social-ready but still polished. It had to highlight the new branding while also documenting real interactions and experiences. And most of all, it needed to be turned around fast. The goal was to have a shareable video ready to post to social media by the end of the event.
A One-Day Event, A Tight Window, and Zero Room for Error
On the surface, a six-hour brand activation sounds like a lot of time. But when you’re expected to photograph and film every angle of a multi-part event, work closely with both a creative agency and the client team, and deliver a finished video edit by the same evening, you’re suddenly racing the clock.
To prep, I packed my three-camera setup: the Lumix S5ii for high-quality handheld footage and photography, my GoPro Hero 9 for quick movement and behind-the-scenes shots, and a drone for aerial views of the activation and the campus scene as a whole. Each camera served a different purpose, allowing me to quickly capture a wide variety of angles and aesthetics without having to swap gear constantly.
Because I knew daylight would be limited—especially with Daylight Savings recently ending—I built a tight time-block schedule for myself in advance. My shooting strategy focused on versatility: wide shots of the full scene, mid-range crowd interaction, close-up product and branding visuals, and lots of movement. I also carved out specific blocks of time to download footage, organize files, and begin the video edit while still on site.
Being fast wasn't just about moving quickly—it was about planning efficiently, capturing with intention, and knowing what would be most valuable for the final cut.
Telling a Brand Story Through Visuals: How I Shot the Event
When I arrived on site, the KIND-branded truck was already drawing attention. Designed to look like a giant snack bar, it became a central point of interaction for students walking through campus. I started there, directing groups of students to pose with the truck and creating mini movement sequences that would work well in video. Since this was a brand moment meant for social sharing, I wanted to make sure I captured shots that felt candid and energetic while still being well-composed and cohesive.
I also paid close attention to the small branded details. KIND’s visual identity was fully integrated into the event—from the merch tables to the mural station—and I made sure to capture close-ups of screen printing in progress, stacks of KIND bars with fresh packaging, and hands-on interactions with the mural wall. These moments added texture to the final edit and gave KIND's team options for both editorial and social use.
Throughout the day, I worked closely with NewBridge Marketing and directly with the KIND marketing manager. She was on-site and available for quick check-ins, which allowed me to get instant feedback on priority shots and pivot when needed. That kind of real-time communication is something I always recommend when producing content for brand activations—it makes a huge difference in getting exactly what the client needs.
One of my favorite visual moments came from the oversized KIND bars. They were literal life-sized bars, and they created this fun, surreal energy. Students were laughing, taking selfies, and interacting with them in ways that felt spontaneous and joyful. I knew right away those moments would become visual anchors in the edit.
The Power of Same-Day Video Delivery
Let’s talk about the edit. Creating a same-day video edit that’s polished enough to represent a national brand requires more than just editing skill—it requires you to think like a producer before you even start shooting.
From the start of the day, I was filming with the edit in mind. I knew the pacing I wanted, the music vibe we’d likely go for, and the narrative arc that would tell the story: arrival, interaction, moments of surprise, and community energy. Because I had planned the structure, I was able to edit as I went—dropping clips into a timeline in short bursts between shooting blocks.
By the time the event wrapped, I already had a rough cut. I spent the final hour on location polishing the color, syncing the footage to licensed music, and exporting a high-quality file that KIND’s team could post to Instagram and TikTok before the buzz of the event wore off.
Same-day edits aren’t always possible, but when they are, they’re incredibly impactful. They give brands momentum and help them extend the reach of an in-person experience far beyond the physical event. In this case, it allowed KIND to immediately capitalize on the energy of the pop-up and tie it directly to the social conversation around National Kindness Day.
Creative Problem-Solving in the Field
Of course, even the best plans need flexibility. One of the biggest challenges on this shoot was lighting. Thanks to the recent time change, the sun started setting around 5:00 p.m., which meant I had a much shorter window of natural light than usual. I adjusted my shooting schedule on the fly, prioritizing outdoor footage earlier in the day and switching to faster lenses and alternative lighting solutions for later shots.
Another subtle challenge was managing crowd control. UCLA’s campus is a busy place, and KIND’s activation attracted hundreds of students in a matter of hours. That kind of energy is great for footage, but it also means being strategic about framing, timing, and movement. I constantly repositioned myself and shifted between cameras to make sure I wasn’t just capturing chaos—I was capturing intentional moments within it.
These are the kinds of real-world considerations that go into PR video production for brands and why having an experienced creative team on site matters. It’s not just about pressing record—it’s about shaping a story in real time.
Why Brand Activations Deserve Professional Visual Content
Brand activations are more than just cool events. They’re part of a larger marketing strategy—a way for companies to create emotional connections, engage with audiences directly, and generate a ripple effect across social media, press, and community spaces.
But these activations often happen once. One day, one location, one window to make an impact. That’s why capturing them well is so important. You need content that extends the life of the experience and communicates the vibe to people who weren’t there in person.
For KIND, this pop-up at UCLA was an opportunity to show up in a fresh way—to reinforce their values, showcase their rebrand, and get real feedback from real people. For me, it was a chance to help them tell that story visually and create content that felt alive, energetic, and on-mission.
If you’re a brand or creative agency planning a similar activation—whether it’s in the San Francisco Bay Area, Southern California, or anywhere else across the state—I’d love to connect. I specialize in fast, strategic photo and video production for brand activations, and I know how to deliver content that’s not just beautiful but useful across all your channels.
Final Thoughts: Fast Doesn’t Mean Rushed—It Means Ready
People often assume that a same-day edit or fast photo turnaround means sacrificing quality, but that couldn’t be further from the truth. When you plan properly, shoot with intention, and collaborate in real time, you can create content that feels cinematic and professional—even on a tight timeline.
The KIND activation at UCLA reminded me how much is possible in a single day. With clear goals, creative freedom, and a well-planned workflow, we were able to turn a six-hour event into a full suite of usable content—something the brand could share immediately and repurpose in future campaigns.
These are the types of projects I love most: creative, quick-moving, high-impact. If your team is planning a pop-up, PR stunt, or branded experience and you need a reliable California brand photographer and videographer, I’m your person.
Let’s make something worth remembering.
