For inspired creative, think inside the box

Author: CIM COM

Creative excellence normally relies on thinking outside the box, but these marketing concepts take brands to a new level by using the vending machines and other mechanical boxes as the media. The humble box-like machine is transformed into a new customer experience. Here we look at three examples from a low tech ad treatment, to augmented reality and experiential marketing.

Recruiter reveals the workers inside everyday machines

What better way to overcome inertia, and encourage workers to seek out a new job? The message from this German recruiter, Jobs in Town, is simply that life is too short to waste it in the wrong job. The message packs a punch with ads that use an optical illusion, by purporting to show unhappy or bored workers inside some of the machines we use every day, completing mundane tasks.

Walkers put Lineker inside bus stop vending machines

Crisp brand walkers turned three London bus shelters in Clapham Junction and Oxford Street into vending machines with Lineker installed behind the glass, dispensing crisps. Or so it seemed. A virtual Gary Lineker could be seen inside what appeared to be a tweet-activated vending machine for two weeks. With augmented reality, consumers at the bus stop were encouraged to tweet @Walkers_busstop for free crisps from the six finalist flavours, as part of the ‘Do us a flavour’ campaign. The creative approach, putting ex-footballer and TV presenter Lineker inside the box, was developed by OMD UK, AMV BBDO, Talon and Clear Channel. The experiential customer event formed the basis of a 30-second advert which has gained close to 1 million YouTube views.

See the ad: Walkers crisps put Gary Lineker inside a twitter vending machine.

Coca Cola puts dance game inside vending machine

As part of Coke’s happiness project it transformed a vending machine in South Korea into a dance game powered by a Microsoft Kinect and featuring an interactive screen with motion sensors. When passers-by stopped to play, they could win free drinks. The tougher the dance moves they completed, to the music of Korean boy band 2PM, the more drinks they got. Players could share a video of their experience with friends on social media. The experiential campaign spawned a YouTube video which has gained 1.5 million views.

Take a look: Coke dance vending machine