Welcome to our weekly rundown of the Top 5 most innovative brand ideas you need to know about right now.
5. Gem Spa: 'Schitibank,' DCX Growth Accelerator
At number five, agency DCX Growth Accelerator, the shop behind Payless Shoes’ Palessi stunt, was behind yet another standout experiential idea. To help the struggling deli Gem Spa, a legendary institution in New York City, the agency transformed it into a satirical big bank, Schitibank, to call attention to its plight as a small business in a rapidly gentrifying area. Since the transformation last month, the stunt has managed to help drum up more business at the store.
4. Burger King: 'Stevenage Challenge,' David
At number four, a weird, but interesting one from Burger King. The brand has signed on as sponsor of a little-known British soccer team, Stevenage. Earlier this year it created cheeky uniforms for the team that look as if they’ve been splashed with ketchup and mustard. And now, BK is trying to make the team famous—through a videogame. In the Stevenage Challenge, created out of David, BK is inviting FIFA 2020 players to support the team in the game and in turn, win free food. Since BK sponsors the team in real life, you may be seeing its condiment-laden jerseys on the backs of famous soccer star avatars.
3. Samsung: 'SpaceSelfie,' BBH London
At number three, BBH London is helping Samsung to step up its selfie game—by bringing selfies to outer space. The company is sending Samsung’s Galaxy S10 5G phone into the stratosphere via a high-altitude balloon. Through a website, viewers can transmit their selfies to the phone. Another camera will then capture those selfies as they appear on the handset—against a real-time backdrop of the earth behind it.
2. KFC: ‘Seasoned Tickets,’ Wieden & Kennedy Portland
At number two, KFC convinced 500 consumers to each purchase 528 wings--by selling them as part of a subscription service. Those customers each dropped $75 on Stubhub to purchase KFC’s “Seasoned Tickets,” which gets them wings delivered to their homes every week for the next ten weeks—just in time for football watching. The tickets sold out in just a couple hours—and those who purchased them scored a deep discount—without the tickets, they would have been spending more than $400 for all those wings.
1. Sprite: ‘You Are Not Alone,’ Santos
It’s always kind of tricky terrain when a big brand tries to stand for something. For every Nike or Dove, there could be a Pepsi Kendall Jenner around the corner. Soda brand Sprite, however has deftly walked that terrain in Latin America. Following its “I Love You Hater” campaign from Santo that tried to neutralize social media hate with love, the brand has introduced a platform on Reddit to help young people cope with their loneliness. The “You Are Not Alone” effort features a series of forums where Gen Z consumers can seek the advice of others on some of their most searched topics on Google—like still being a virgin, being flat-chested or feeling trapped in the wrong body. Each forum is led by an influencer who has experienced that same angst.
That's it for the Top 5. Make sure to check out more of the best in brand creativity at Adage.com/Creativity.
