Toy car brand Hot Wheels recently created some excitement by testing out a Twitter-activated vending machine at the Canadian International Auto Show. Attendees simply had to visit the machine and tweet @HotWheelsCanada to receive a 1968 Chevy Camaro Hot Wheels car. The clever idea not only “turned men back into boys,” but also led to a 3X increase in Twitter followers for @HotWheelsCanada.
The 10-day show saw 1500 attendees visit the vending machine; a small computer built in to the device recognized the proximity of tweeters via location software. The campaign, in partnership with General Motors, definitely created some “show-floor buzz,” according to AdWeek. And the follower count for @HotWheelsCanada more than tripled, growing from 1,200 to 3,800.
Mark Stewart, director of TrojanOne (the digital agency behind the machine) was inspired by BOS Ice Tea in South Africa, the brand that premiered the “world’s first Twitter-activated vending machine” back in June of 2012. While the Hot Wheels machine had a few glitches during the show, things are looking good – Stewart told AdWeek that he was meeting with a major Canadian retail brand to discuss placing the vending machines in stores.
The goal of the campaign was to “create positive brand sentiment both at the show and on Twitter.” Hot Wheels got attendees excited about the vending machine and engaged on Twitter — do you see this concept working on a more permanent basis, and/or finding a home in retail stores?
