Burberry Olympia Handbag Launch

In the middle of 2021, a giant version of the new Olympia handbag was commissioned by Burberry’s marketing team as part of their global launch campaign. The huge version looked amazing both up close and from distance, with intricate detailing making it look like a genuine supersized Burberry handbag.

Owing to the delicate nature of the prop’s construction, we decided to dry dock host barge Scheldemond II so it could be pieced together carefully in a fully controlled and still environment.

Complete precision was the order of the day: the handbag handle alone came in three separate parts which had to be meticulously bolted together by the construction team. Whilst docked, the barge was also wrapped in Burberry branding.

With the handbag now safely in place, the three-day activation commenced. Thames Vixen towed the newly-stylish Scheldemond II into position, with the handbag on display at Mark Brown’s Wharf near Tower Bridge and opposite Greenwich Naval College.

Equity was deployed as the camera boat for the launch, with Lima Lima I operating as the safety boat. We also worked closely with Solent Sky Services – who are one of our recommended operators for drone filming on the River Thames – to help them capture drone footage using Equity as a floating base.

The launch garnered plenty of passer-by and press attention, with the handbag later appearing in the Dubai desert as part of the brand’s global activation.

Bigger is always better, so the saying goes – and that’s certainly the case with Burberry handbags!