Issue #123

Welcome to your weekly dose of TooXToo, this week featuring Heinekicks walking on beer, Malteasers honestly baked bakery, Marriot gamifies the hotel experience, and Sainsbury’s Vegfast van…

Heinekicks’ walking on beer

Heineken have partnered with the ‘Shoe Surgeon’ to launch trainers that allow you to literally walk on beer…

The new trainers celebrate Heineken’s lighter drink Heineken Silver. Visually, the kicks are on brand with their iconic shades of green, silver and red that matches the well-known Heineken bottles.

Leaning into convenience-led design, each trainer will have a removeable bottle opener in the tongue of the shoe, allowing customers to pop a bottle on the go.

The key design feature, we are all talking about however is the beer in the soles of the shoes. Designers used a surgical injection method to inject the liquid of Heineken Silver into the soles, and in doing so created a “smooth sensation when walking” which they explained, is meant to mirror the beer’s light and smooth tasting notes.

The marketing director Gerald Yeo at Asia Pacific Breweries Singapore commented:

“At Heineken, we have always embraced change. The launch of Heineken Silver is testament to this, and the limited-edition ‘Heinekicks’ are a manifestation of Heineken’s constant pursuit of innovation.”

There will only be 32 pairs of these limited trainers available, and sneakerheads worldwide are desperate to get their hands on the shoe offering beer for the ‘sole’.

Maltesers honesty baked in bakery

Maltesers have applied a new, conventional twist to the infamous Malteser. Usually wrapped in milk chocolate, customers will now have the option to buy them in a dark chocolate version.

To promote their latest product launch, the confectionary brand has opened a pop-up ‘Honesty Baked in’ – a one-of-a-kind cakery in London that will provide its customers with some ‘amusingly honest cakes’.

The baked goods inside have been crafted by 2021 Bake Off finalist Crystelle Pereira; the cakes served up will also be free, yes you read that right – free. Not only this, but they will come hand piped with messages allowing customers to get their cheeky or simply very honest thoughts off their chest.

Senior Brand manager from Maltesers Clare Moulder explained:

“Honesty Baked In is a chance for people to embrace their cheeky side and share how they really feel, all whilst softening the blow with some delicious cake. We can’t wait to see what people get off their chest once they feed their dark side!”

The concept focuses on encouraging people to unleash, as Moulder implores ‘their dark side’ which nicely marries with the launch of their new dark chocolate product.

Earlier this year, Cadbury’s mean tweet shop focused on a similar concept – exposing the honesty of those who had tried and hated vegan chocolate.

Allowing people to feed or express their thoughts in a more light-hearted way is something brands are increasingly doing to create more playful, honest brand experiences.

The Marriott hotel gamifies the hotel experience

The Marriott hotel is doubling down on innovation when it comes to giving their guests an elevated hospitality experience.

The Marriott group, have launched an augmented reality experience which has re-imagined the hotel as a space not just to stay, but to play in. Guests will be able to win prizes by exploring their hotel using a smartphone.

The AR experience will be accessible via a scannable QR code at the entrance check in. Visitors will be able to create their own personal avatar before checking in which will be visible through a smartphone camera, allowing users to combine computer-generated overlays with their hotel’s real-world surroundings.

According to researcher Newzoo. Gen Z consumers, on average, spend 17% of their leisure time gaming. By integrating mobile-game-like experiences into its hospitality service, Moxy are set to entice the younger, digital nomad.

The digital-led experience curated by Marriott has a strong social aspect, allowing people to interact with one-another in the hotel and game together.

As well as this, the games inside the Moxy universe feature a social-networking aspect, with one asking users to take a selfie with their avatar at various points within the space, using the hashtag #moxyuniverse.

Both aspects therefore boost the shareability of this innovative launch from Marriott.

Sainsbury’s Vegfast Van

After discovering that the average UK adult only consumes 65% of their recommended five-a-day, Supermarket giant Sainsburys decided to create their Vegfast fan which will tour the UK this week.

When questioned why Brits did not eat enough fruit or veg, 25% answered that they ‘forget about it’, and 13% said they don’t know how to incorporate it within meals outside of dinner.

Destinations will include London, Brighton, and Manchester. The hope is that by giving out free fruit and veg more Brits will be inspired or exposed to the idea of eating their required 5 a day as well as trying new recipes.

As well as encouraging healthier, and more varied diets – the van also hopes to promote and showcase to Sainsbury’s customers how they can get more out of their nectar points balance.

This pop-up initiative from Sainsbury’s is purpose-driven and responds to a growing desire from the younger consumer to be more health-driven.

As Sainsburys explored in their consumer research – often kids do not eat healthily enough because of the food bought by their parents, but there is an appetite for a healthier diet across the UK. Through encouraging a top-down approach to healthy consumption, Sainsbury’s hopes to have an impact on customer’s attitudes when it comes to prioritising their 5 a day.