HOMEPLUS Subway Virtual Store

I’m absolutely in love with this campaign from Cheil Worldwide for South Korean grocery chain HOMEPLUS. A great example of how insights can produce a killer idea that gives a positive brand experience. It’s truly deserving of the 2011 Cannes Grand Prix Media Award. See the video and learn more about their insights and strategy below.

Insights, Strategy and the Idea:
South Korea is a unique market. Even the most powerful global corporations tend to fail miserably in the Korean market. Walmart and Carrefour had to pack up their bags and leave. On the contrary, TESCO has been evolving itself, adjusting to the local market. It even changed the name itself, from TESCO to HOMEPLUS! And at last, it grew to the rank of No. 2 in Korea! But TESCO had to overcome one obstacle – fewer stores compared to the number one company, E-mart. Could we become No. 1 without increasing the number of stores? We conducted an in-depth study into Koreans once more. Korean are the 2nd most hard-working people in the world! For them, grocery shopping once a week is a dreaded task. So we decided to approach these busy and tired people.

Creative Execution: Let the store come to the people! We created virtual stores in subway stations hoping to blend into people’s everyday lives. Our first attempt was at busy subway stations in rush hours. Although virtual, the displays were exactly the same as actual stores – this included the merchandising. Only one thing is different, you use smart phones to shop! Scan the QR code with your phone, and the product automatically lands in your on-line cart! When the online purchase is done, it will be delivered to your door right after you get home.

Results and Effectiveness: People could encounter TESCO HOMEPLUS wherever they go without having to visit the actual store. It was an efficient way to shop so people could enjoy their free time. After this campaign, on-line sales increased tremendously (Nov.2010-Jan.2011). Through this campaign, 10,287 consumers visited the online HOMEPLUS mall using smartphones. The number of new registered members rose by 76%, and on-line sales increased 130%. Currently, HOMEPLUS is No.1 in the on-line market and is a very close 2nd offline.

Source: Cannes Lions