Sampling is the oldest play in the book.
Sampling works where ads do not, because people often need to “see it to believe it,” or taste it, as the case may be. Take Coke Zero. How can it possibly be as good as full-calorie Coca-Cola? The idea defies logic.
It’s a problem that requires new thinking, and new doing. Ogilvy & Mather/New York was up to the task. To get people to try Coke Zero, the agency installed a 26-by-36 foot drinkable billboard located in White River State Park in Indianapolis during the Final Four.
The sampling campaign was also backed by innovative uses of new media. See the video for more on the executional details.
“Our drinkable advertising is about less talk and more proof,” said Racquel Mason, Vice President, Coca-Cola North America.
It appears that the proof is in the pop.
