PROTERGIA CHRISTMAS VILLAGE

Three brands. One magical Christmas destination.

For 40 days, Pedion tou Areos was transformed into one of Athens’ biggest Christmas destinations, welcoming more than 2 million visitors into an immersive festive world filled with light, music, play and live experiences.

As part of the Protergia Christmas Village, White Rhino designed and implemented three distinct sponsor experiences for Protergia, Lidl Hellas and Snappi, each with its own personality, audience journey and activation strategy.

Project Snapshot

Brands: Protergia, Lidl Hellas, Snappi
Location: Pedion tou Areos, Athens
Duration: November 28 – January 7
Audience: 2M+ visitors
Agency Role: Experiential Concept, Design & Implementation

PROTERGIA

The energy behind the magic

As the naming sponsor of the Christmas Village, Protergia became the emotional and visual core of the entire destination.

White Rhino designed a festive brand journey that unfolded naturally across the park, turning every interaction into part of a larger Christmas story.

The Experience

Visitors entered the Village through the Protergia Welcome Spot, where gifts, festive surprises and branded interactions introduced the experience from the very first moment.

Across the park, multiple touchpoints encouraged visitors to explore, participate and share: interactive wish installations, Instagrammable photo spots, technology-driven activations, kids’ workshops, family experiences, branded relaxation areas and concert-related moments.

At the centre of the experience was Proteas, Protergia’s beloved mascot, whose live appearances became one of the most popular moments for children and families.

The Highlight

The emotional peak of the experience was a large-scale light show created by internationally acclaimed light designer Giorgos Tellos.

More than a visual installation, the show became a destination moment of its own, transforming light, music and movement into a shared Christmas experience for thousands of visitors every night.

Impact

By combining storytelling, entertainment and interactive experiences, Protergia moved beyond traditional sponsorship visibility. The brand became an active part of the visitor journey, creating a Christmas experience built around energy, emotion and participation.

LIDL HELLAS

The taste behind the magic

Under the creative platform “Maghefstika Xristoygenna”, White Rhino designed a festive food experience that brought families together through cooking, creativity and shared holiday moments.

At the heart of the activation was the Lidl Food Academy, a fully operational open kitchen inside the Christmas Village.

The Experience

The Food Academy became a lively culinary hub where visitors could watch live festive cooking sessions, discover DELUXE products, join workshops and seminars, taste seasonal recipes and participate in contests and interactive activities.

Throughout the activation, chefs prepared Christmas recipes live in front of the audience, offering practical inspiration for holiday hosting and festive tables.

Special Moments

The “Xmas Leftovers” seminar with chef Gogo Delogianni showed visitors how leftover festive ingredients could be transformed into creative new dishes.

The “Xmas Table” seminar with chef Dimos Balopoulos shared ideas and inspiration for creating the perfect Christmas table.

The “Melisso-Peripeteies” kids’ workshop with Varvara Kouneli introduced children to a playful festive world inspired by bees, nature and imagination.

The activation also included Instagrammable content corners, interactive contests, creative workshops and family-focused experiences.

Every touchpoint was designed to make Lidl Hellas feel warm, useful and genuinely part of the Christmas celebration.

Impact

By combining food, family and festive storytelling, Lidl Hellas transformed its sponsorship presence into a memorable visitor experience built around taste, participation and togetherness.

SNAPPI

The snap behind the magic

For Snappi, the challenge was clear: how do you turn a digital-first banking app into a physical brand experience people can interact with, enjoy and remember?

White Rhino answered that challenge with a playful, high-energy activation designed around participation, rewards and shareable content.

The Snappi Hub

At the centre of the experience stood the Snappi Hub, a bold branded space designed to attract attention and invite interaction.

The Hub introduced visitors to the app through interactive games, digital experiences, instant rewards, social-first content moments and festive visual storytelling.

Key Activations

The AI Photo Booth invited visitors to pose, customise their photos with digital stickers and place themselves inside a festive European Christmas scene. The result was personalised, highly shareable Snappi-branded content.

Inside the Snappi Storm, visitors entered a high-energy storm box and tried to catch floating Snappi notes to win instant gifts. Fast, playful and visually impactful, the activation became one of the most engaging moments inside the Village.

Impact

By combining digital interaction with physical play, Snappi transformed app awareness into real-world engagement. The brand became accessible, entertaining and highly shareable, connecting naturally with younger audiences inside one of Athens’ biggest festive destinations.