Tag: couponing

Listerine: Flipbook With Bad Breath

Bad breath is one of the most embarrassing issues for people when they socialize. Listerine decided to bring this experience to life with a flipbook that released a pungent onion scent.

To induce trials, a coupon was attached to the back of the flipbook and people could redeem it for a free Listerine bottle at nearby locations. Reported redemption rates reached 66%.

How the flipbook makes “bad breath” real

The mechanism is sensory contrast. The flipbook invites curiosity, then the onion scent turns the message into a physical reaction rather than a line of copy. The coupon sits at the exact moment of discomfort, offering a clean, immediate next step.

In personal care and FMCG trial programs, multi-sensory sampling can convert awareness into action by making the problem visceral and the solution frictionless.

Why it lands

This works because it skips explanation and goes straight to feeling. People do not need to be persuaded that bad breath is awkward. The scent creates instant empathy, and the coupon makes the brand’s role clear. It is not just “remember Listerine”. It is “fix this now”.

Extractable takeaway: If you can make an invisible problem tangible in seconds, you earn attention. When the solution is placed immediately at the point of reaction, trial becomes the natural next move.

What to steal

  • Use one sensory punch: pick a single sense and make the idea unmistakable, not subtle.
  • Place the offer at peak relevance: the call to action should appear exactly when the user feels the problem.
  • Keep the conversion step simple: a clear redemption path beats a complex signup flow.
  • Design for public reaction: when people react visibly, the activation creates its own distribution.
  • Measure beyond reach: redemption and repeat behavior are the real KPIs, not just views.

A few fast answers before you act

What is the Listerine “flipbook with bad breath” activation?

It is a flipbook handout infused with an onion scent to simulate bad breath, paired with a coupon for a free bottle to drive trial.

Why add scent instead of just showing a message?

Scent turns an abstract problem into an immediate, physical experience. That speed is what makes the idea memorable and shareable.

What role does the coupon play?

It converts the reaction into a next step. The coupon makes the solution actionable at the exact moment people feel the discomfort.

Is the 66% redemption figure reliable?

It is reported in trade coverage. If you need it as a hard metric, keep it but treat it as reported unless you have the primary source.

Where does this pattern work best?

When the product solves a problem people already recognize, and when you can make the problem instantly tangible without crossing into humiliation or offense.

eMart: Sunny Sale Shadow QR Codes

Korea continues to set the standard in creative QR code campaigns. In June last year, Homeplus in South Korea used QR codes to create a virtual store in a subway station.

Now eMart, South Korea’s largest retailer, creates shadow QR codes across the city that only become visible when the sun is at the correct angle in the sky, between midday and 1pm. Consumers who scan the QR code during this period are redirected to the eMart online store, where they receive $12 coupons for products that are delivered to their homes.

Turning time into the trigger

The mechanism is a physical installation designed to cast a QR pattern as a shadow only during a narrow daily window. The code is effectively “off” for most of the day, then “on” at lunch. That forces a repeatable habit moment and makes the scan feel like a discovery rather than a prompt.

In dense, mobile-first retail markets, lunch hour is a high-frequency window where a time-boxed incentive can convert attention into immediate action.

Why the shadow constraint works

The campaign does not just offer a discount. It creates scarcity you can see. If you miss the light, you miss the code. That turns a routine coupon into a small challenge, and it gives people a reason to talk about the “how” as much as the “what”.

Extractable takeaway: If you want to spike behavior in a specific time slot, make the call-to-action itself time-bound, not just the offer. When the trigger disappears outside the window, the audience learns the rhythm faster than they would from reminders alone.

What to steal for your own retail activation

  • Make the rule instantly legible. “Only works at lunch” is easy to understand and easy to retell.
  • Use a constraint that creates urgency without pressure. The sun provides the timer. The brand does not need to shout.
  • Connect the scan to a clear payoff. Coupon plus delivery is a complete loop, not a teaser.
  • Design for repeat visits. A daily window encourages people to come back tomorrow, not just once.

The sundial-style QR codes were installed at 36 locations across Seoul and served more than 12,000 coupons. eMart membership increased by 58% and lunch hour sales went up by 25%.

A few fast answers before you act

What is the Sunny Sale “shadow QR code” idea?

A 3D installation casts a scannable QR code as a shadow only during a specific time window, so shoppers can unlock a coupon by scanning at the right moment.

Why limit the code to midday?

It concentrates attention into lunch hour, creates visible scarcity, and trains a daily habit around a predictable retail moment.

What makes this better than a normal QR poster?

The time-based constraint is the hook. The QR code is not always available, so scanning feels like discovery and the story becomes shareable.

What can go wrong with time-locked activations?

If the reward is weak or redemption is clunky, the constraint becomes frustration. The tighter the window, the more important the payoff and UX become.