In this post series we would like to shed light on how to turn your product into an experience, by including light and animation with into your products to make them ready to the new era of consumers.
Marketing and branding in the era of Gen-Z is tough. Looking at the amount of screen time, one might fall into the trap of believing that all marketing needs to be digital today. Still 80% of our lives are still happening in analogue. So how to merge the familiar elements of Gen-Z lifestyle with the brands communication? We believe that this is achieved by merging the digital with the physical: phygital.
Today we look specifically on what it takes to create a successful marketing campaign, that appeals to millions of people around the world by exactly doing that. This campaign went viral with over 250 publications on news outlets around the world and has since then secured over 21 major industries awards. We are talking about the first time, when the famous lightsabers have lit on piece of paper.
This paper was wrapped around a bottle of Coke: The famous Coca Cola X Start Wars Galactic Bottles. Or when technology and creativity beats budget in marketing.
In 2019 the new - and supposedly - last Star Wars movie was going to be released in Cinemas. Our customer has reached out to us and wanted to generate a special campaign around the movie releases with bottles that beside the Coca Cola label were displaying characters of the Star War universe.
The goal was to provide a magical experience to the consumer that blends into the transformational experience cinema goers and Star Wars fans experience when they enter the Cinema. Entering a cinema is like leaving the world behind and stepping into a world full of magic. This is what Hollywood is all about. And our OLED lighting technology should deliver this magic on a piece of paper wrapped around a bottle of coke.
The idea behind the campaign was that part of the bottle should’ve been lit up and then those bottles should’ve been distributed around special stores, to make the crowd “hunt” for them and so engage in a special manner. The idea was to spice up the bottles with labels that light up to make them a truly desired product and not just a gimmick. The first and most important challenge was as always: to decide what should actually light up?
Our desire was to make sure the consumer wants this bottle badly. In order to achieve this, it is important to create an emotional connection that makes logically sense to the consumer. Following this light can not only be gimmick but needs to seamlessly fit into the narrative. After having discussed multiple elements, it was clear that the lightsabers need to light up. This is what lightsabers do. And then the rest is history.
The bottles were an instant success. After a first article on Geek Culture (1) and the positive verdict of the key users, the interest in the community around the world peaked and the campaign went viral. People were cueing up in front of store to receive one of these bottles -waiting up to 24hours.
Key opinion leaders shared their excitement. Influencers who did not receive the bottles were also posting about the campaign. The campaign was featured in more than 250 articles worldwide, including FOX News, Engadget, Hypebeast, Mashable, CNET, Hypebeast and many others. The bottles were also resold on eCommerce sites such as eBay for as high USD$2,000. Followers on Coca-Cola Singapore's Instagram double and the company saw a PR value of more than SG$1 million.
The campaign was also a success for 7-Eleven, the stores that took part in the distribution of the product, which had queues outside its stores, The brand was also constantly mentioned on social media as the locations were revealed, discussed, and shown in posts and conversations. Sales for The Coca Cola Companies increased by more than 50% during the last quarter of 2019 compared to the same period in 2018. (2)
In the aftermath of this successful campaign the OLED labels and campaign have received widespread acknowledgement by industry experts being awarded with more then 21 industry awards, among those X golden Offies (please check @aleksandra) and the marketer of the year Award for Kean Yew Lim, the marketing director of Coca Cola Singapore.
Creating a viral campaign should always contain two things: A) a product or service that people desire and B) story that is told around this object, that makes them engage in with the brand.
A) The product of desire were the bottles with the OLED labels. The key to the success of this element was lighting the most iconic artifact of the Star Wars universe - the lightsaber - with that of the Coca-Cola universe - the Coke bottle. By using our paper-thin OLED technology we were able to condense an entire electronic circuit into a thin piece of label, that was undistinguishable from a normal label. Only with a single touch of a finger on coul illuminate the lightsaber and witness a truly remarkable product experience, that felt like blending the digital and physical world.
B) To generate excitement TCCC (The Coca-Cola Company) first distributed media kits to selected news outlets and influencers and released teaser videos across digital and social platforms in early December. To keep the product both exclusive and accessible, TCCC released 8,000 bottles exclusively in Singapore. Instead of raising prices to enhance exclusivity, TCCC initiated a nationwide treasure hunt called The Galactic Hunt. Participants solved daily riddles that were emerged in the Star Wars universe and made them to discover the specific 7-Eleven stores carrying the bottles, sold at the regular price of Coca-Cola.
This promotion was exclusive to 7-Eleven during December's high-traffic period, with the store providing prime shelf space and doubling orders for Coca-Cola No Sugar X Star Wars non-lighted bottles. The treasure hunt spanned three days across three weekends, covering 45 locations. Brand ambassadors managed crowds and queues at each site. Hints for the hunt were posted on TCCC's social media platforms the night before, revealing five locations daily. Bottle availability updates were provided in real time via the company's website and Instagram stories (2)
Let’s boil this down to a recipe.
Recipe: The recipe of this marketing campaign involved placing a label on the bottle and utilising well-known intellectual property (such as a movie or comic). The design illuminated a recognizable aspect of that IP, that allowed to create a natural connection, creating value beyond utility of the light itself. The illumination size was moderate. The bottle itself was made of PET material. The timing of this design coincided with the release of a new IP in cinemas.
Result: These bottles have become collectibles among fans of the IP, selling for 2000 USD and remaining sought-after items. The IP has driven consumers to wait 24 hours before the store opens to buy one of the bottles – a phenomenon similar to product launches from Apple. The combination of a two strong IP, finding the right things to illuminate, and perfect timing (release of a new movie) has led to a viral campaign with over 250 international publications and 21 industry awards.
To improve: PET bottles used have a low perceived value by consumers due to deformation over time and also due to the bad press that plastic packaging is getting recently. A glass bottle is perceived as a high value product and thus the better option.
The Coca‑Cola system in Singapore manufactures, markets and distributes more than 40 different beverages options in Singapore, of which 60 percent are lower or no sugar options to help people in Singapore enjoy the great tastes they know and love while managing their sugar intake. In addition to our namesake Coca‑Cola drinks, some of our leading brands in Singapore include: Fanta, Sprite, A&W, Schweppes, Minute Maid juices, Aquarius isotonic drinks, Heaven and Earth teas, Authentic Tea House, Georgia coffee, Dasani waters, Glacéau Vitaminwater and Zico coconut water. Coca‑Cola has been refreshing Singaporeans for over 80 years and is committed to making a lasting, positive difference in the local community.
For more information about Coca‑Cola Singapore visit: http://www.coca-cola.com.sg/en.
Lucas film and director J.J. Abrams join forces once again to take viewers on an epic journey to a galaxy far, far away with Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, the riveting conclusion of the seminal Skywalker saga, where new legends will be born and the final battle for freedom is yet to come. Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker opens in U.S. theaters on 20 December.
The film stars Carrie Fisher, Mark Hamill, Adam Driver, Daisy Ridley, John Boyega, Oscar Isaac, Anthony Daniels, Naomi Ackie, Domhnall Gleeson, Richard E. Grant, Lupita Nyong’o, Keri Russell, Joonas Suotamo, Kelly Marie Tran, and Billy Dee Williams.
Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker is directed by J.J. Abrams and produced by Kathleen Kennedy, Abrams and Michelle Rejwan. Callum Greene,Tommy Gormley and Jason McGatlin serve as executive producers. Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker was written by J.J. Abrams & Chris Terrio and opens in cinemas on 19 December.
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