Eleven 7-Elevens (weird) have been Simpsonsized in the U.S. to resemble the show's staple location Kwik-E-Mart. Customers can find Duff Beer, Buzz Cola, and KrustyOs cereal on the shelves. These will no doubt be collector's items and will represent this awesome campaign for years to come. F'n brilliant TracyLocke!i'm calling it generational for the reason that this will speak to Simpsons' fans all over the board. I grew up watching the Simpsons when it first hit network television, back when I was in highschool (8 years ago). This promotion intrigues me, brings me back to the brand and even raises an affinity for 7-Eleven. And on top of it all, it's just an f'n cool experience that people will want to get themselves to, not to mention all of the free press the movie will get. (when i posted this, Google returns 780,000 sites) Can we say viral splendorific?
Matt Rand, an Associate Creative Director with TracyLocke, calls it a natural creative idea. i completely agree and hope to see more of these campaigns in the future. An AP article calls it an example of "marketers making life imitate art." cool! now where can i find one of these renovated stores...DOH! none in NY!
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Trev went to one as its literally only a few blocks from his house. He bought Buzz cola, and he said the store was crowded. When he went back, there were huge lines when he wanted to show his GF. People were driving from San Diego to LA just to buy a box of Krustie Os or a Marge Bobble head. It must be great to have nerd fan bases.
They decided "No" on the duff beer, and notably, we didn't have Fox in Bandon until Simpsons was into about its 4th season, so we missed out on the crappy stuff.
The real question is why there still are Simpsons fans left. No doubt its a cool marketing ploy but a show that's gone on 10 years too long, its hard for me muster up too much. Also you can nab Buzz cola at 7/11s. The interesting part is it isn't Coke, Pepsi or RC Cola near as I can tell and tastes a little different as well. They honestly should leave the 11 Kwike Marts permanently with the amount of good they are moving.
there have been several requests to leave them as Kwik-E-Marts. I think they should definitely leave them for longer than a month, we'll see. but then it's an issue of marketing, because these really are "promotional" tactics and how long can a promotion really last? if we dub it an experience model then that's an entirely different game. like OMSI or something...and it doesn't have a time limit. hmmmm...
Fantastic! I personally think this is the perfect stage for a great Seven-11 comeback. If well executed, the Simpson’s promotion is doomed to attach a valuable social currency to the 7-Eleven brand. But for how long? How can they ensure customers will come back after the promotion ends?
At the very least, they better make sure their house is well organized before inviting the guests over. Offering a value-added service (yes, even if just at the cashier!), keeping up with product assortment and a clean and smart layout are just basics (doh!) to avoiding a short-lived brand awareness and sales boost…
I see an opportunity for 7-Eleven to explore being the "fun place to shop" past the Simpson's campaign. Perhaps stretch the fun to its gondolas, napkins, cups, hot-dog wrappings and so on...And how about securing ownership of an entertaining branded ritual by becoming "the place to stock up before watching your favorite TV show"? For that matter, 7-Eleven could partner with cartoon network and HBO to start selling their food-related-memorabilia (cups, napkins, etc)
I've just recently "posted a post" on my blog about the Simpson's invasion at 7-Eleven as well :0)
Btw - I'd love to have you reading my most recent post at(www.silviacavalcanti.blogspot.com)
It seems like we are both on the same "job hunt, blog devouring boat". I'd love to hear your thoughts...
Cheers,
Silvia
Cheers,
Silvia
ahhh I've actually passed by the Kwik E Mart in LA on Venice Blvd about three times already and to tell you its drawing crowds is an understatement. The first time I saw it I swore I'd go back as I wanted to stock up on all memorobilia. When I went back on Saturday to due a full analysis (pics and all) I found there to be a line as long as a Disneyland ride. The line kept getting longer as I waited for my traffic light to turn green and I didn't bother going in again. I heard on the radio the next day that the wait was about 45 min. Talk about buzz. This morning I dropped by a regular ol' 7-11 to get gas and saw that the promotion was also going on at these stores. As I rolled on in I was a bit disappointed there wasn't a bigger presence. My plan was to stock up on the Radioactive Man comic and some Krusty-O's. To my surprise I didn't see any and if they were there, there wasn't a big call out. Now as a customer that went out of her way to stop by to see the phenomenon I was very disappointed it wasn't what I expected. Now it could be that I because it was a reg. 7-11 there was a little less coverage. So that got me to thinking, if building all the hype (to Silvia's point) whats the point if there is a disappointment once in store? Once they heard the bigger crowds than expected after having the promotion up for more than a week, 7-11 needs to ramp up their efforts to keep everything clean, up to date and in stock. E sorry for the rambling but I really wanted my Radioactive Man comic book!!!!!!!
Leaving the Kwik-E Marts would simply solidify the Simpson's real world impact, eventually some of the novelty would die but just leaving a legacy imprint selling certain Simpson's select merchandise, mainly the food would eventually land in the realm of landmarks.
Its not like the Kwik-E mart franchise would die after the movie or when the show called it quits as it'll be on forever in re-runs as it has , as after all, has 400+ episodes. I wouldn't say leave them forever, but they'd be able to milk it for several years. They're just a 7-11, and 7-11 manages to do fine, and likely a little better with the draw of being tied to the longest running sit com ever. Its not like nerd fans go away. No matter what marketing strategy you're applying, you can't underestimate the power of fandom and the cult of the nerd. Just think of it as a 7-11 + a few signature products, and a different face. Even me, someone who hasn't watched an episode of the show quite literally in years and considers the show mostly mediocre would be drawn to stopping at a Kwik-E-Mart if I happen to be so in the area.
Hi Erin,
I think it is an awesome idea too. Does anybody out there have pictures? I could really use some good case-stories here in Denmark. But I do not agree on that they should make them lasting resorts of branding. The interesting thing is the feel of something new and different, and an exclusive chance to step into the magic world. The buzz will appear if it is announced that it will continue being so. Then rather make another happening after a year or so. A lot of the power of an idea today lies in the magic for exclusivity. And that's also why I want pictures now while it lasts...
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