Who Should Speak to the Audience and Who Should Simply Be Seen?

Who should speak to the audience, and who should simply be seen? – This was the main observation minds&marketing brought to Tbilisi Open Air 2025.

As you may know, this year’s Tbilisi Open Air was not just a music festival. It evolved into a cultural and civic event where the voices of protest, solidarity, and freedom echoed throughout. This spirit was reflected in the spaces and booths set up at the event. For instance, Freedom Village this year hosted the Council of Europe Office, project 64, and the investigative journalism platform „Ai, Facti“. There were also dedicated areas for the Natural Wine Festival and the Tbilisi Book Fair. In short, it featured almost everything that, today, should “resonate” alongside music.

Now, let’s talk about the brands.

If you haven’t picked up the new TBC cardyet, the bank made sure you had plenty of motivation to do so. For example, during Open Air, payments made with the new TBC card or the Loyal credit card came with a 20% cashback at any vendor on the festival grounds. You probably also came across influencer videos—TBC collaborated with several content creators as part of their pre-campaign for the Open Air partnership.

We’ll talk more in-depth soon about how relevant influencer-brand collaborations really are and how wisely brands are choosing their ambassadors. But for now, let’s move on to the other brands.

We also came across influencers at the stands of Izipizi andZoomer. Ioane and Maha hosted a sunglasses giveaway at the Izipizi booth—and by the way, that’s how I learned they’ve just launched a new model called “Crash.” I love giveaways that actually give you useful information.

Zoomer’s stand was just as fun, featuring an album cover photo booth where you could snap playful pictures. Naturally, there was a VR headset in constant use—someone was always wearing it and clearly having a great time.

All day I kept thinking—what’s missing from this festival? And then it hit me… wouldn’t it have been great if Zoomer had brought along some film or digital cameras? I feel like it would’ve really fit the vibe. And who knows, maybe people would’ve bought them on the spot too.

 

As I was wandering between the stands, thinking about what I was craving, a girl stopped me: “Would you like a yogurt?” and handed me a Parmalat yogurt. Probably the most unexpected brand and product I could’ve come across at Open Air—but honestly, after noticing how many pregnant women and toddlers were around, I thought, yeah… maybe yogurt does make sense here. In any case, I took it home—and two days later, I still remember it. So thank you, you definitely made an impression.

Another brand that felt surprising at first glance was athome.ge—but they set up such a cool gaming zone that not a single seat was left empty. At first, it felt ironic: a gaming space at a music festival, outdoors, where people are literally trying to escape their homes—but athome convinced me otherwise. Turns out, a good PC and the right game can make you forget everything around you… and anchor you firmly in a gaming chair.

And now, it’s time for my favorite—the brand that made me think this is exactly what I was looking for: the most relevant, contemporary, and ready to truly communicate. Before I even saw Coca-Cola’s space, I noticed the line—a massive one. I followed it with my eyes and there it was: three players were listening to snippets of songs, and whoever guessed the most would spin the prize wheel and win something.

I didn’t participate—standing in that line, I knew my chances were slim. But here’s the thing: that line never disappeared. All. Day. Long.
Oh right, I almost forgot the best part: you could only play if you had the Coca-Cola app installed.
Sounds clever, right?

This was a brand that used the language of play to engage with the audience—and simultaneously promoted its digital product.

These were the brands that caught my eye this year—but maybe I missed some?
That’s why I’m leaving you with the very question I had in mind when preparing this blog before heading to the festival:

Who do you think has the ability to truly speak to an audience, and who should simply aim to be seen?

Until the next Open Air!