This week, OMD UK launches a UK first for out-of-home advertising. It has been months in the making, but we are finally unveiling three tweet-activated digital vending machines at bus shelters in London.
The journey started back in January 2014, when we first launched the Walkers Do Us A Flavour campaign. Anyone you speak to has an opinion about what flavour would make for a delicious crisp, so we challenged the nation to suggest a brand new flavour for the chance to win £1 million. The response was overwhelming, but with a little help from David Walliams and Marco Pierre White, six ‘finalist’ flavours were chosen.
The second phase of the Do Us A Flavour campaign went live this month. As part of a multi-channel media campaign across TV, digital, radio, social and OOH, we have launched the ‘Tweet to Eat’ bus shelter vending machines which will be live for two weeks from 28th August.
We worked with our partners at Talon, Clear Channel and AMV BBDO to deliver these bespoke media executions. The consumer experience is incredibly simple – at each site, you will find Gary Lineker ‘trapped’ in the vending machine, ready to hand out packets of one of the six finalist flavours. All you have to do is tweet a unique hashtag to the @Walkers_busstop twitter handle and moments later, a packet of crisps will be dispensed at the bottom.
Consumers are then encouraged to vote for their favourite flavour by visiting the website or simply tweeting using the flavour’s hashtag.
To get a piece of media innovation to the live stage always involves a little bit of blood, sweat and tears, and these innovative bus shelters were no different. But with huge enthusiasm from our clients at Walkers, and our partners at Talon, Clear Channel and AMV BBDO, we’ve got a brilliant example of what can be achieved with positive collaboration, creative thinking and a desire to redefine communication in outdoor advertising.
Make sure you head down while the sites are live, even if for no other reason than just to try one of the delicious new flavours!
