Herta a German subsidiary of the Nestle Group, launched a new product in Belgium called Knacki FootBall – small meatballs that look like footballs.
Then at a local train station, they placed a vending machine that offered these meatballs for free. But what people did not know was that to get the free meatballs they had to play a game of football inside the vending machine against a Belgian football legend Leo Van Der Elst. The results…
In a build up to the first match of the 2014 FIFA World Cup, Nike Football released a five minute animated film that features some of the world’s greatest footballers on a mission to save football from the hands of a villainous mastermind, The Scientist.
In a future where brilliant football has ceased to exist and the game has become almost extinct, Brazilian legend Ronaldo (O Fenómeno) decides enough is enough and goes on a mission to reignite the game with brilliant football with the help of a re-assembled group of the world’s most brilliant players.
In the final minutes of the film, Cristiano Ronaldo, Wayne Rooney, Neymar Júnior, Zlatan Ibrahimović, Andrés Iniesta, David Luiz, Franck Ribéry, Tim Howard and Ronaldo (O Fenómeno) are seen battling the “perfect” football clones in a winner take all match.
When you have a cultural moment as big as the World Cup, the winning work often behaves like entertainment first. Nike built a mini-universe with stakes, characters, and a simple conflict. That gives the story a reason to be shared beyond football fans, and it gives the brand a clear point of view without sounding like advertising.
It is a five-minute animated film released ahead of the 2014 FIFA World Cup where Ronaldo (O Fenómeno) and a group of top players try to save football from The Scientist and his “perfect” clones.
Cristiano Ronaldo, Wayne Rooney, Neymar Júnior, Zlatan Ibrahimović, Andrés Iniesta, David Luiz, Franck Ribéry, Tim Howard and Ronaldo (O Fenómeno).
He represents a future of controlled, optimized, risk-free football. The film positions creative, brilliant play as the antidote.
It amplifies the emotion people already bring to the World Cup and gives them a shareable story that feels like culture, not a commercial break.
Coca-Cola has launched 20 special edition mini bottles to get fans around the world excited about the upcoming 2014 FIFA World Cup, which will take place in Brazil from June 12th to July 13th.
The bottles come wrapped in flags of countries that have hosted the World Cup previously. Argentina, Chile, Uruguay, Mexico, USA, England, Germany, Spain, France, Italy, Sweden, Switzerland, South Africa, Japan and South Korea. As well as the three upcoming host countries Brazil, Russia and Qatar. Plus two special Coca-Cola editions.
Coca-Cola fans can also create and send special messages and avatars to other bottle owners through Facebook and iPhone or Android apps. In addition, special markers on the bottles activate augmented reality animations when held up to a smartphone camera.
This is a simple shift with big implications. The bottle is not only a container. It becomes a trigger. A collectible. And a social connector.
The flags do the first job. They make the bottles instantly recognizable and tradable. People have a reason to hunt for specific countries and compare what they found. The digital layer does the second job. It turns ownership into participation, because the bottle now links to messages, avatars, and AR animations.
AR works best when the behavior is natural. Here the behavior is already there. You hold the bottle in your hand. You point your phone at it. You get something back instantly.
That is what makes the marker idea effective. It does not ask people to do something unfamiliar. It simply adds a reward to something they already do when they are curious about a special edition design.
What are Coca-Cola Interactive Mini Bottles?
They are 20 special edition mini bottles designed to build excitement for the 2014 FIFA World Cup, using country-flag designs plus a digital interaction layer.
What is interactive about them?
Owners can send messages and avatars to other bottle owners via Facebook and iOS or Android apps. The bottles also include markers that trigger augmented reality animations through a smartphone camera.
Why use country flags on the bottles?
It creates instant collectability. People can look for specific countries, compare what they found, and feel part of a shared event build-up.
What is the role of augmented reality here?
AR turns the label into an activation point. Point your phone at the bottle, and the design becomes an animation experience rather than static packaging.
What is the main marketing idea worth copying?
Make the product itself the gateway to the experience. When the physical object triggers the digital layer, participation becomes effortless and more memorable.
