Joss Davidge, Business Director of brand experience agency BEcause, continues his weekly search for innovative marketing ideas. This week he looks how confectionary brand Mikado got people talking with a surprising sampling campaign.
Using an element of surprise is a common thread through many experiential campaigns. Disrupting someone’s normal day-to-day with something interesting, fun and stimulating can leave a lasting impression. This week I have found a nice campaign from Kraft confectionary brand Mikado, which exploits the element of surprise and gives shoppers something to talk about.
Mikado installed a vending machine in a shopping centre in France and posed the question “Should you always accept a packet of Mikado?”. Consumers were invited to take a sample box of Mikado from the vending machine on stage, and many succeeded in doing so. Unbeknown to the gathering crowds, a few actors were placed in the mix. When they pressed the button a trap door opened and they vanished. A short sketch, which featured the recently lost soul, was then played on the big screen - much to the delight of the assembled crowd.
The experience is extended through YouTube where you can select a victim to drop through the trap door from a choice of five. I am sure that this fun campaign has given the shoppers and online viewers a great impression of the brand and that it may well influence purchase decisions in the future.
Read more from Joss Davidge in our Clubhouse.