To launch their XL cold drink size, Caribou Coffee needed an XL idea.
Caribou Coffee wanted to attract a new younger audience with the launch of their XL size cold beverage cup and ask us to create a digital campaign that drive traffic to retail locations during the afternoon.
In March of 2021, the brand was gearing up to launch an XL-size cup for their lineup of iced drinks — favorite items among students. With something new and exciting to offer them, it was an unmissable opportunity to connect with that younger audience in a lasting way.
Caribou was targeting a younger demographic of high school and college students. Though the world was shut down due to the COVID-19 pandemic, most high school and university classes were being held remote. Students were cooped up, isolated, burnt out, and looking for ways to have a bit of safe fun.
“What if we position the cup as a big celebration for small victories?”
After researching the behavior of young adults on social media to gain insight on their behavior we found that they were more determined than ever to find things to celebrate. One vein of resilience took the form of digital cheerleading. Online, our audience was cheering on themselves and one another for their day-to-day wins — no matter how tiny they were.
This gave us a big idea: Big Hype for Tiny Wins. Whether you’re trying to ace an essay, get fit, beat a final boss, or just get out of the house today, progress is progress. It’s the little wins that keep us headed towards the big finish lines. But just because the win is small doesn’t mean the victory party can’t be extra large.
When other coffee brands were content to use photography of their cups or coffee, we decided to add a little flavor. The foundation of the campaign was animated ads that stylized tiny wins as drinkable in the new XL cup from Caribou.
Stylized and illustrated “liquid type” tiny win phrases floated in an illustrated XL Caribou cup. The phrases were animated to appear to be slurped through a straw. BOUsted flavors inspire bright backgrounds. This digital awareness campaign brought a day-making experience to a new audience that was actively seeking to reach for the positive, no matter how big or how small.
Our campaign fit in seamlessly with the cheer squads online, validating the struggles of our audience, offering the XL-sized drink as a reward for everyday achievements, and giving students an occasion-based reason to go Caribou. Thanks to our bullseye-targeted campaign, Caribou slurped up its most successful launch of the summer.
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