In late 2024, bp pulse took a bold step into music sponsorship by securing naming rights to one of the UK’s most iconic live venues, rebranding the NEC Arena as bp pulse LIVE. This five-year partnership connects bp pulse to music, identified through research as the number one passion point amongst its target audience.
As one of the UK’s most high-profile arenas, with 800,000 annual visitors and a 2.5 million-strong database, and hosting artists such as Kylie, Charli XCX, RAYE and McFly, the partnership provides opportunity to drive awareness and understanding of bp pulse as a leading EV charging brand, while building emotional connection through live experiences and supporting the customer acquisition strategy.
The partnership offers an authentic platform to grow the bp pulse ‘Every EV is a VIP’ initiative, which rewards EV drivers with VIP perks and experiences. With the NEC campus home to the bp pulse Gigahub™ – one of Europe’s largest EV charging hubs, it provides the opportunity to drive commercial impact while paving the way for bp pulse LIVE to become the UK’s most EV-friendly music venue.
Through impactful activations including a striking venue rebrand, EVIP Lounge, ultrafast charging incentives, and support for grassroots music, bp pulse LIVE has driven awareness, engagement, and commercial performance. In 12 months, brand awareness amongst visitors rose from 50% to 59%, brand understanding increased by 9%, and awareness of EV driver perks grew by 16%. Nearly 2,500 EV drivers visited the EVIP Lounge, while event-day charging sessions grew steadily month-on-month.
