The Minimart's Tropical Sun Web Vending Machine

Independent advertising agency, The Minimart, has been appointed to work with leading Caribbean food and drink brand, Tropical Sun Foods. They were tasked with increasing consumer awareness and giving the brand a personality that shoppers could recognise easily and instantly associate with truly authentic Caribbean foods.

 

Research indicated that once people trialled their products they were converts, so top of Tropical Sun’s wish list was to get people trialling their products and creating a platform for brand affinity by harnessing the brand’s established Caribbean heritage, warmth and fun personality. 

 

 

 

To this end, The Minimart team are launching an interactive campaign with a difference. At the heart of it – a branded vending machine located on a real Caribbean beach waiting for UK consumers to activate from the comfort of their homes.

 

Through a webcam, people can view the nine Tropical Sun products on offer in the machine  and use their one free credit to pick their favourite. They can then watch in real-time as their selection is activated in the machine and a Tropical Sun employee (called Ray) collects, packs up and post it for the lucky customer to enjoy.

 

The vending machine is refilled each day at 09.30am (EST 4.30am) and for those that are not quick enough to get there before the machine runs out of product, Tropical Sun are offering a voucher redeemable in Sainsbury’s and over 20,000 Independent stores. 

Driving people to the vending machine will be an engaging viral campaign showing a team of Tropical Sun workers (all called Ray) preparing the products and filling up the vending machine – all whilst capturing the charisma, charm and personality associated with the Caribbean. Tropical Sun, made with Caribbean Rays. One love.

 

Tim Clyde founding Creative Partner of The Minimart says ‘"We are delighted that Tropical Sun bought into such a confident and original concept.  The online vending machine provides us with a powerful communications tool to establish a strong brand personality and introduce the fantastic range of products to new customers in a cost effective way, all with social media at the heart of the idea."

 

 “When The Minimart presented this ambitious idea to us, we instantly felt it captured the essence of the brand personality and allowed us to communicate in a fun and innovative way to a targeted audience and reward them for engaging with Tropical Sun”, said Kapil Wadhwani, Brand Chieftain at Tropical Sun Foods.

 

Check out the vending machine here.

 

CREDITS:

AGENCY & PROD CO.:    THE MINIMART

DIRECTOR:                                                          TIM CLYDE

CREATIVE DIRECTOR :     TIM CLYDE

CW/AD:                                BAZ & DAZ

DOP:                                                                      BAZ IRVINE

EXEC PRODUCER:                             NIKKI CHAPMAN

EDITOR:                                                                THE HEADQUARTERS

MUSIC:                                                                 MOTAT