Category: Blog

By no means is it an exaggeration to say that the Coca-Cola Company is one of the largest companies on Earth.  In fact, it was listed as the world’s third most valuable brand in 2015. And it’s been going strong since its introduction in 1886. It may be a company valued at $83.84 billion, but that doesn’t mean that Coca-Cola’s only focus is on getting bigger.  In fact, one recent ad campaign was built around making things tiny.  Really tiny. The product they were selling was mini cans of Coke, so they had to do something to keep with a theme of being smaller than normal.  They couldn’t be overly dramatic and shrink the world, but they could shrink the shops that sold the drink.  And they did.

The Big Scoop on Coke’s Little Ad

The campaign in question was played out in five different major cities throughout Germany.  Basically, Coke installed sales kiosks that looked exactly the same as the hundreds of others that the city dwellers would wander past that day, except these new ones were very small, and they had a mini machine and a person inside.  The vending machine was the right size to still pop out the new 150 ml can, but it looked more like something that elves would shop at.

Interestingly, the shops were fully functional, and they sold many different mini products.  But, the whole setup was designed in a way that would showcase the little cans of Coca-Cola.

The only exception to the tiny plan was the person inside.  These vendors were a normal height, but they were positioned in such a way that kept them at the same level as the counter.  It was brilliantly put together in a way to keep the illusion alive.

Unfortunately, these mini kiosks were only there for a temporary time in 2014, so you don’t have the chance to hop over to Germany and go visit them.  But, they made sure to give you a way to visually relive the experience.  They did this by also creating some print ads showing the kiosk as well as a video that could be shared online.

Why This Little Stunt?

This whole campaign was built around a central motto: “It’s the little things in life that make us happy.”  So, it wasn’t about spreading the knowledge, sampling a new flavor, or rambling on about some new innovative production process.  Instead, it really just aimed to show people that they could be happy, even from the littlest things.  Such as a 150 ml can of Coke.

Instead of going big and corporate, they decided to use guerrilla marketing in a localized location.  They anticipated that people would get a kick out of it, and they wanted to take advantage of social sharing to spread the message.

And, as always with Coca-Cola, they wanted to improve the customer experience and keep on building up that brand.

Outdoor Media for an Indoor Product

Soft drink companies generally fight viciously over interior space for their advertising, but this campaign shows it doesn’t have to be that way.  Coke easily could have made some big stunt inside of the stores, and they did put a lot of marketing materials there, but not this particular campaign.

Sometimes advertising a product where consumers don’t expect it is a great way to get noticed.  This really stood out because the scene was so typical, but so different, that people couldn’t help but notice.  It really broke through all of the noise of the competing advertisements.

Of Course It Won Advertising awards

It wasn’t just the Coca-Cola Company that came up with this idea, and the advertising agency behind it was Ogilvy & Mather Berlin.  They were pretty proud of the results, and among other awards, they walked away with multiple honors in the 2014 Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity.

Coke’s Strategy is Diverse

They’ve had polar bears, athletes, normal people, and even Santa Claus as spokespeople for their drinks, but, most of those live in print ads and on television.  So it was refreshing for everyone involved to see a campaign get into the great outdoors.

Also, they’re still at it with the mini ads.  This year they ran a Superbowl spot featuring the Hulk and Ant Man (two Marvel characters), and they engaged in a big chase to see who could get the little Coke.

As Always, Coca-Cola Builds Their Brand

On average, there were about 380 of the mini cans sold each day of the campaign, and that’s a 278% increase of normal vending machine sales.  But, that wasn’t the point.  The main goal was to contribute to their overall brand image, and it really had to meet their claim that Coca-Cola will “open happiness.”  It stuck out to customers and gave them the feeling that Coke is fun, relevant, and something that makes them happy.

It doesn’t matter what your product or service is, there’s always a way to use outdoor media to strengthen a brand as a whole.  Are you taking advantage of that?  If not, feel free to contact us today.

There’s nothing better than catching some sunshine on a hot day at the beach.  But, after some time lounging, swimming in the ocean, and digging in the sand, there are two things you want:  A cold shower and a refreshing drink. Most companies skip straight to the second part of this consumer need, but one was thinking outside of the bottle with a guerilla marketing campaign.  And it worked.

The Sprite Soda Shower

This whole event was part of a outdoor media campaign in 2012 that the Coca-Cola Company used to help promote Sprite.  Essentially, they built a giant soda dispenser complete with the famous green and yellow logo of the lemon-lime drink, and they invited people to stand where the cup would usually go.  Once the beachgoer pushed back on the giant lever, a shower would rain down on them.

The best and worst news about the campaign is that it only poured water, not Sprite.  Less refreshing, but also less sticky people. They mixed the giant contraption with the opportunity for people to have samples of the soda, and it created quite a stir.  Since the summer days on the crowded beach in Brazil could get up to 40°C, there were a lot of people looking for something to cool them down. It managed to shower more than 1,500 each day that it was in place, and you can be sure that these people made an association in their mind with that green label.

But, Why Wash All Your Potential Customers?

If you’re selling drinks, this sounds like a fairly silly tactic.  Why wouldn’t you just spend the money on samples of your product, and then freely pass them out all over the beach? Well, that sort of strategy can work, but this was better for many reasons. First, it was talked about.  No one rushes home and tells their friends about having a free drink, but they are quick to share their story of becoming a soda.

Next, it created important mental associations.  If potential customers are just handed a drink on a hot day, they’ll down it and not think twice.  But, if they physically feel refreshment both outside and inside of their body, they’re much more likely to associate that brand with a positive feeling.  And that’s the kind of thing that will make a difference when they’re staring at a fridge full of competing brands. Also, this gives identity to a brand.  The other companies may make fine products at similar prices, but this one is playful.  When happy people head out for a day in the sand, they want to take some brands with them that match their attitude.

What Was the Reaction of the Advertising World?

In short, it was positive.  That’s a big part of the reason that we’re still talking about this campaign a few years later.

The agency behind the giant soda shower was Ogilvy Brazil, and they were quite praised for the idea. It was quite talked about at the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity where it won multiple awards, and it even took home a gold in one category.

Sprite is Used to Being the Cool Kid

It’s definitely worth noting that this stunt fits in well with the brand image that the soft drink has been working on for years.  Sprite has made a name for themselves over time as being trendy and making sure that the younger generations know they’ll be stylish if this is what they’re drinking.  They’ve had a lot of basketball, hip-hop, and street art in their campaigns, so they fit right in placing themselves in the middle of a beach party.

Time to Shower Your Customers with Attention

One of the biggest takeaways from this campaign is that marketing really comes down to creative solutions, and it’s about much more than just getting the word out.  It can be fairly expensive to invest in many forms of advertising, and this causes many people to hesitate about getting the word out.  But, sometimes a campaign can be about getting your customers to decide why they like you, and then make sure this new fact sticks into their mind.  It might not get them to drop what they’re doing and run to the store, but it can be a big part of building a loyal customer base throughout the years.

If you don’t want to build a giant soda machine but still want to show some love to your customers, then try to think outside of the box.  And don’t worry if you’re having a slow day in the creative part of your brain, just give us a call and we’re happy to help.

What do you think of the Sprite Shower?