Why is this work relevant for Brand Experience & Activation?

To reach a younger target audience, Mirinda took to TikTok to create an all-new, immersive brand experience for the launch of its new Root Beer flavour. It changed the product landscape by using the language of gaming told through TikTok’s AR technology, an interactive challenge and the strategic use of influencers. Our interactive challenge used TikTok’s Gamified Branded Effect to create a whack-a-mole style game where users had to move their heads and sip from Root Beer glasses to climb to the top of the leaderboard!

Background

In 2020, Mirinda saw strong growth in Thai’s soft drink consumption and took the opportunity to launch a new Root Beer flavour in a market where they had a significant share of the local Gen Z population. Mirinda understood that their audience had an increasing number of beverage choices and had to embrace a Gen Z approach to get them to consider the product. 3 key objectives: 1. To establish a new positioning for its Root Beer product – not the product of the past, a beverage for everyone to enjoy 2. To create relevancy of its Root Beer product among a young audience 3. To encourage product trial via reviews, sampling and promotional offer

Describe the creative idea (20% of vote)

With lockdowns and friends you can’t see, the world didn’t seem to make sense to the Gen Z audience, so we created an idea that was irresistible to them through a language they were familiar with – gaming. We created Mirinda’s #IrresistibleChallenge campaign, where users could play with a distinctive Mirinda arcade machine, crafted with pop-culture elements they were all too familiar with. Powered by AR technology through TikTok’s Gamified Branded Effect, users moved and bobbed their heads in a race to score the highest points for sipping the most Mirinda Root Beer!

Describe the strategy (20% of vote)

While the Gen Z audience isn’t an easy segment to crack, they are also the most open-minded and willing to try new things, often turning their preferences into cultural movements. We worked with TikTok to bring this preference to life through a novel brand experience that explored the intersection of AR technology, gaming, and friendly competition as we knew just how much Gen Z stays away from traditional advertising, seeking fresh experiences in the new age of content.

Describe the execution (30% of vote)

Using TikTok’s Gamified Branded Effect driven by AR technology, we created a one-of-a-kind gaming experience for a generation that speaks in memes and competes in game tournaments that turned a face filter into a game where they could compete with one another for the most number of points. Taking reference from pop culture, we crafted an in-app arcade machine where users would be transformed into a world of anime eyes and soda fountains where they had to sip as much root beer as possible. The catch? Users could add on their own creativity and augment their submissions any way they wanted!

List the results (30% of vote)

The #IrresistibleChallenge campaign was one of Mirinda’s most successful campaigns. It achieved all 3 key objectives as seen through its massive awareness and engagement. The campaign outdid its awareness benchmarks with over 19 million users and over 4.1 million video views. There were over 33,000 videos created by the users which has outperformed the benchmark for Thai Gamified Branded Effect campaigns in 2021 by 455%. Mirinda also experienced massive sales as it achieved over 170% above its targeted sales volume within 3 months of the campaign launch, solidifying Mirinda Root Beer as one of Gen Z’s new beverages of choice.