Brief:
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F'real, a subsidiary of Rich Food Products that offers a line of shakes and smoothies that can be blended in stores using its patented system, launched its first integrated campaign that includes social media, a virtual reality (VR) experience and a livestreamed event, according to a press release. "Choose Your Alternate F’reality," part of a broader brand relaunch, is identified with the #FrealAF hashtag.
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F'real posted QR codes on its social media channels, digital ads and blender screens that mobile users can scan to activate a web-based VR experience. The immersive Alternate F'reality activation showcases the company's products, including milkshakes, smoothies and protein shakes.
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F'real this week also livestreamed an event from its accounts on Instagram and TikTok that featured giveaways and demonstrations of its F'real blenders. The livestream followed the introduction last month of the #FrealAF challenge on TikTok that included personalities such as Tanzer and Uncle Bubble Gum.
Insight:
F'real's multiplatform campaign aims to reach its target audience of on-the-go Gen Z consumers who are heavy users of social media apps. As F'real relaunches its brand, it's important to demonstrate how people can quickly make a shake or smoothie by selecting a cup from a refrigerated case in convenience stores, on college campuses, at movie theaters and at military bases and put it into one of F'real's specialized blenders. Apps like Instagram and TikTok are well suited for video demonstrations of products, and can reach a more targeted audience than traditional video platforms like linear TV.
By creating a web-based VR activation, F'real also aims to immerse consumers in a branded experience on their mobile devices. With many people using their smartphones for entertainment and social connections during the coronavirus pandemic, F'real can reach consumers and engage them for a more prolonged period. F'real's virtual portal follows similar activations like those from Kohl's and Toys 'R' Us Canada that created virtual environments for mobile shoppers during the holidays.
F'real is among the brands that have created hashtag challenges on TikTok to urge people to participate in a campaign. As TikTok users create their own videos and use a soundtrack provided for the challenge, brands can extend their campaigns among a massive user base. For example, NYX Professional Makeup this week created a challenge on TikTok that racked up 1 billion views of videos using the #BrowFitness hashtag in its first few days. But not all hashtag challenges generate that many views, such as Burger King's #WhopperDance challenge that has tallied about 29 million views since its rollout last week.