A bus-shelter poster you can literally grip
Here is another cool innovation at the bus shelters. Coca-Cola has come up with a new Grip Bottle which has a better grip for holding. To let people know they printed posters with Velcro on them and placed them in bus shelters in Paris to make people interact with the grip.
Here, “interact” means a simple touch that demonstrates the grip benefit on the spot.
The campaign was a big success as people were literally hooked on to the campaign and there was a 3.8% brand volume growth in France compared to 2007.
The campaign was created by Marcel in Paris, France.
The smartest part: the demo is the media
If the claim is “better grip,” then the fastest proof is to make you grip something. Velcro turns the poster into a hands-on argument.
In European urban transit shelters, people wait close enough to the media that touch-based demos are possible.
Why it sticks in your head
Bus shelters give you time. And touch beats talk. You do not just read about the benefit. You feel it while you wait, which makes the proof harder to ignore.
Extractable takeaway: If a benefit can be proven in one gesture, design the media so the gesture happens by default.
The business point
The real question is how to make a product claim self-evident in a few seconds.
When the proof fits inside the medium, demonstrate the benefit instead of explaining it.
Make the new Grip Bottle noticeable, and make the “better grip” benefit instantly understandable through interaction.
What to take from this
- Tactile benefits: When the benefit is tactile, communicate it through touch, not explanation.
- High-dwell placements: Use high-dwell environments, meaning places where people naturally wait, to earn interaction, not just impressions.
- Simple mechanics: Keep the mechanic, meaning the action you ask people to do, simple enough to repeat at scale.
A few fast answers before you act
What was the Coca-Cola Grip Bottle campaign?
A bus-shelter activation in Paris promoting Coca-Cola’s Grip Bottle by using Velcro posters that encouraged people to interact with the grip.
Where did the campaign run?
It was placed in bus shelters in Paris, France.
What outcome did the post cite?
The post cited a 3.8% brand volume growth in France compared to 2007.
Who created the campaign?
The post credits Marcel in Paris, France.
