Tag: 3D Printing

Coca-Cola Mini Me: 3D-Printed Mini Figurines

After Volkswagen, Coca-Cola is the next brand to tap the 3D printing trend.

For the launch of its new mini bottles in Israel, Coca-Cola with their agency Gefem Team came up with a campaign that allowed anyone to create 3D mini figurines of themselves. To get one in real users had to work a bit.

So first users created the minis using a mobile app. Then they had to keep them happy by feeding it and taking care of its needs.

There was even a virtual supermarket within the app that you could visit to buy your groceries for your mini self.

Those who successfully participated were then invited to the 3D printing lab inside Coca-Cola’s factory in Israel, where they received the mini versions of themselves.

Why this is more than a 3D-printing stunt

The 3D print is the reward, not the whole experience. The real engine is the progression loop. Create a mini-self. Care for it. Earn the invitation. Then collect the physical proof.

  • Personal creation. You do not receive a generic giveaway. You create “you”.
  • Ongoing engagement. Feeding and caring builds repeated interactions over time.
  • Escalation to the physical world. The factory lab visit turns digital participation into a memorable moment.

The virtual care loop makes the prize feel earned

The app mechanic is intentionally effortful. You have to keep the mini happy. You have to manage its needs. Even the virtual supermarket reinforces routine and “ownership”.

That matters because it shifts the figurine from a freebie into a trophy. Something you earned by participating.

Why the factory lab invitation is a smart finale

Bringing people into a Coca-Cola factory adds legitimacy and drama. It also creates a content moment. A physical place, a “lab”, and a 3D print reveal that people can photograph and share.

  1. Access as a reward. The invitation itself feels exclusive.
  2. Proof of innovation. The brand demonstrates capability in a tangible way.
  3. Memory value. The experience becomes a story, not just a product launch.

What to take from this if you build digital-to-physical campaigns

  1. Make the reward personal. Personal outputs are more meaningful and more shareable.
  2. Use a progression loop. Repeated small actions can outperform a single big interaction.
  3. Finish with a real-world moment. Physical experiences create stronger recall than purely digital stunts.
  4. Let the brand environment play a role. A factory lab gives credibility and theatre without feeling fake.

A few fast answers before you act

What is Coca-Cola “Mini Me”?

It is a campaign in Israel where users created a virtual mini-self in a mobile app, cared for it over time, and then received a 3D-printed figurine version after qualifying.

How did users qualify to get a real figurine?

They created the mini using the app and kept it happy by feeding it and taking care of its needs, including buying items in a virtual supermarket.

Where did the 3D printing happen?

Qualified participants were invited to a 3D printing lab inside Coca-Cola’s factory in Israel, where they received their mini figurines.

Why include a virtual care mechanic?

It creates repeat engagement and makes the physical reward feel earned rather than given away.

What is the transferable lesson for campaign design?

If you combine personal creation with a progression loop and a physical payoff, you can turn a product launch into a longer-lasting experience.

VW Polo Principle: Crowdsourced 3D Prints

Volkswagen last year launched “The Polo Principle” ad campaign to convey the message that high-end innovations were now available to Polo drivers.

Then, to democratize the innovation process, they allowed people to actually design their very own 3D Volkswagen mock ups. The top 40 designs were chosen by a panel of judges and then put on display in Copenhagen, with the entrants receiving their (mini) 3D printed Volkswagens in the mail.

From innovation message to innovation participation

The mechanism is a neat escalation. The campaign starts with a claim: premium innovation is no longer reserved for premium models. Then it turns that claim into an action: if innovation is being “democratised,” people should be able to shape it. A 3D design tool becomes the interface for participation.

Instead of asking audiences to agree with the brand message, Volkswagen invites them to contribute to it, visually and playfully.

In co-creation campaigns, participation becomes persuasion when people can make something that physically proves the brand promise.

Why it lands: ownership beats persuasion

This works because creating something triggers a different level of engagement than watching something. Designing a mock up requires time, intent, and taste. Once you invest that effort, you become emotionally tied to the campaign. And when your design is selected, the brand is no longer a distant manufacturer. It is a platform that amplified you.

The Copenhagen display adds a public payoff. It moves the work out of the browser and into a real space, which signals seriousness and status.

The intent: make “accessible innovation” feel real

The business intent is to attach innovation to the Polo brand without sounding like advertising. User-generated designs create social proof. The 3D printed mini cars make the campaign tangible. “Innovation is available to you” becomes “here is something you made, and here is a physical object that proves it.”

What to steal from this approach

  • Turn a message into a mechanism. If you claim democracy, build a democratic action people can take.
  • Reward with something physical. A mailed 3D print is a memorable artefact, not a forgettable badge.
  • Curate publicly. Exhibiting the top designs creates status and raises the perceived value of participation.
  • Use judges plus community. A panel can signal craft and quality, not just popularity.
  • Design for shareability. People naturally share what they created, especially when it looks good.

For more examples on brands using 3D printing click here.

A few fast answers before you act

What was the core idea behind the Polo Principle extension?

To move from talking about “innovation for everyone” to letting people participate by designing their own 3D Volkswagen mock ups.

Why add 3D printing to a campaign?

It creates a physical proof point. A printed mini model makes the experience feel real, personal, and worth keeping.

What role did the Copenhagen display play?

It gave public status to the best designs and signalled that the brand took the contributions seriously, beyond a digital stunt.

Is co-creation mainly an awareness play?

It can drive awareness, but its deeper value is emotional ownership. People remember what they helped create.

What is the main takeaway for brands claiming “democratisation”?

If you want the message to stick, build a mechanism that lets people experience the claim directly, and reward participation in a tangible way.

World’s first 3D printing photo booth

Ever wanted a life-like miniature action figure of yourself? Omote 3D has made that possible by setting up the world’s first 3D printing photo booth for a limited time at the Eye of Gyre exhibition space in Harajuku, Japan.

From November 24th to January 13th, 2013 people with reservations will be able to have their bodies scanned into a computer. Then instead of a photograph they will receive miniature replicas of themselves. 😎

The miniature replicas are available in 3 sizes i.e. S (10cm), M (15cm) and L (20cm) for US$264, US$403 and US$528, respectively.

Additionally click here to see how Polskie Radio in Poland has used 3D printing technology to market their website.