AND TRENDY! AND SMART! AND TECHY!
With all the clutter that surrounds us, it isn’t surprising that marketers have turned to changing the way their products are packaged a la vending machines. Here are some of my faves:
1. UNICEF: DIRTY WATER
To urge New Yorkers to learn about the effects of dirty water on developing countries and donate to the UNICEF, this company bottled dirty water in 8 lethal varieties, placed them into a vending machine, and sold them on the streets of Manhattan.
2. BUY A DRINK, BASED ON THE MACHINE’S RECOMMENDATION
This 47-inch touch panel recommends a beverage for you based on gender, age, and environmental factors such as season, time of day and temperature. Accuracy: 75%! It’ll also store your purchasing history for purposes of targeted ads. Creepy. This is in Tokyo’s Shinagawa Station; with plans to install 500+ in the city.
3. DRENCH: PLAY SOME GAMES, WIN A DRINK
In cities across the UK, Drench’s machines challenge passersby to participate in brain games to win free drinks. Why? To illustrate that hydrated brains function better. How clever. You can also play these games online: Drench site.
4. UNILEVER: SHARE HAPPY
I read about this during June’s Cannes Lion International Advertising Festival. This idea brings a smile to my face. Even the vending machine delights me (red does elicit feelings of hunger). The concept is simple: smile = get ice cream = photo may be on Unilever’s FB page, Twitter or Youtube. No smile = no ice cream. In the future, consumers will be randomly selected to receive free ice cream. Watch how SapientNitro created this.
5. KIT KAT: HUMAN VENDING MACHINES
Borrowing Japan’s idea of human vending machines, Kit Kat dropped a few of them into London’s Victoria for their ‘Working Like A Machine’ campaign. Watch video here. FYI, I could never work in a job like that.
6. FLOSSIE: MEN VENDING MACHINE
New Zealand’s women’s lifestyle magazine, Flossie’s challenge: come up with a way to dramatize their mantra ‘Whatever you need, it’s on us.’ Solution: Packing real single men with vibrators into vending machines.
7. GRAFFOMAT: THE ARTISTS’ LIFE
The Graffomat supplies spray paints, caps, gloves and permanent markets for graffiti artists who want to create a masterpiece on the spur of the moment. This should make the banana of the group happy 🙂 A mystery of whether this is real or a hoax surrounds this –omat.
9. BODEGA: BOSTON’S BEST KEPT SECRET
Bodega, Boston’s hippest ‘underground’ sneaker store, is disguised as a convenience store. In order to actually get to it, you have to step in front of the faux Snapple vending machine to activate the hidden sliding door! Although this machine isn’t selling anything directly, it’s an innovative and experiential approach to entice people to check out the latest kicks.
10. COKE EVERYTHING
Coca Cola has got it going on. They’ve been consistently named Interbrand’s #1 Best Global Brand for the past few years, so it’s no surprise that they’re on top of this technology.
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That dirty water one is gross but the other ones are pretty cool. But they definitely need to bring those vending machines that vend hot meals out like they have in Japan. Those would be crazy.
you mean to tell me people had to pay for that dirty water lol ?
haha yes! but they didn’t drink the water & the money went to a good cause. you can check out the video here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TtOQda0aKIc&feature=player_embedded#!