7-ELEVEN | KWIK-E-MART | 2008
The Day a Store Sank Into a Cartoon / 7-ELEVEN "KWIK-E-MART"
A real convenience store disguised as a fake convenience store from a cartoon. And not just one store, but twelve. And done in a single night. The side that had been mocked by The Simpsons as a symbol of unhealthy eating put on that insult like a full costume and wore it proudly.
The problem
Before the release of "The Simpsons Movie," a promotion was planned using the fictional convenience store from the show, Kwik-E-Mart. For years, 7-Eleven had been the real-world model that Homer and the gang teased as the unhealthy store.
The insight
Why not just fully embrace the brand image that had been poking fun at them all along? A company that can play along with its own joke, even an unflattering one, comes across as having real confidence. The idea was to laugh off the negative image while actually getting people into the real stores.
The idea
Twelve 7-Eleven stores across North America transformed overnight into Kwik-E-Marts. The exteriors and signage were completely rebuilt, and shelves were stocked with products that had never existed before, recreated straight from the show: Buzz Cola, Krusty-O's, Squishee, and pink Sprinklicious doughnuts, among others. These items were sold for real, and many of them were also carried at 7-Eleven stores beyond the twelve transformed locations. On top of that, a sweepstakes was held in which one winner, chosen by lottery, got to appear as an animated character in an actual episode of The Simpsons.
What happened
On the first day, Simpsons-related merchandise at all twelve stores nearly sold out completely, forcing an emergency airlift of products from across the country. Long lines formed outside the stores, and at some locations customers kept coming well into the night. The campaign earned TracyLocke two Gold Lions in the Promo category at the 2008 Cannes Lions.
Afterthought
It usually takes real nerve to fully become the thing people have mocked you as. But if you commit to it completely, the teasing can turn into affection in an instant. Companies that can turn insults into material are, more often than not, strong ones.
Awards
- Cannes Lions Gold 2008
