Thursday, April 4, 2013

Will jumping on the Walking Dead bandwagon work for Solixir?


Solixir, a maker of energy drinks is launching a zombie-spoof campaign in Chicago – “Fighting the Working Dead One Can at a Time.”

Campaign tactics include: domination of Chicago’s rapid transit system, deployment of Working Dead zombies in high-traffic areas, street teams doing sampling in the Loop Business district, and a Facebook contest.  Check out the article below for more details.

So what do you think?  Will this be a successful way for a small company to make a big splash?


Lukovitz, K. (2013, April 2)  Solixir Energy Drinks In ‘Working Dead’ Campaign.  mediapost.com.  Retrieved April 3, 2013, from
http://www.mediapost.com/publications/article/197076/solixir-energy-drinks-in-working-dead-campaign.html?edition=58417#axzz2PR3dh7Vy

6 comments:

Kathleen said...

This one has be baffled. From what I gather, this "all-natural, healthy" drink is meant to "fix" your zombie-like state. However, the zombies are scary and don't really convey the idea of great health.If they came into my office, I may run. Maybe, a before and after would be better or just an after. Something about the word dead doesn't sit well with me. I don't think this campaign will be a success.




Yahya said...

I think this campaign can be effective mainly because, even without being familiar with The Walking Dead series, there are literally droves of 'walking dead' in many workplaces. I think the focus is really on workplace fatigue and using zombies to reinforce that message is rather ingenious actually because it seeks to leverage the zombie trend - yet not entirely be built around zombies. Workplace fatigues is a chronic problem and will likely resonate with young, burnt out office workers who seek more energy to complete a workday. Five Hour Energy drinks have made attempts to brand themselves as the replacement to coffee with 4 calories. Solixir may have an opportunity to do something similar with this campaign. I do however believe the longevity of the campaign is questionable and question the transition from zombies to another disconnected campaign. YEBH

iboyerinde said...

I think anything fun, different and innovative will catch the eye of consumers. Whether this will affect sales is another question. Tying their campaign with a popular series that has a large following will definitely make them relevant and it seems that many people like to participate in trends (i.e. Harlem Shake, etc), so I think this definitely a good (but maybe expensive) way to forge a place in the market and consumer loyalty.

Kathleen P. said...

Solixir has really come up with a smart and fun marketing strategy to help grow their brand; focusing market by market. This will be a winning strategy because they are hitting a nerve that many in the workforce/collegiate population can relate to: tired, drawn out, sick, and the infamous 3:00 o’clock loss of energy...All these are reasons they have hit the nail on the head with the “Working Dead”- anyone in the aforementioned situation knows there is a point in the day when they need a pick me up. Focusing market by market ensures that, as a small start up, they do not spread themselves too thin. Starting in Chicago and Boston allows them to gain a following of two large cities and gives them an opportunity to test the best way to carry the strategy in a bigger market like New York.

It is key that Solixir is reaching out to their target demo in such a direct way through staged outbreaks and decontamination zones. This method of consumer outreach allows potential customers to interact with the brand at the point when they need it most and will be most willing to try something new to get them out of their “daily funk”. By providing sampling, Solixir is giving the consumer an opportunity to try something they probably wouldn’t have just picked up in store when there are so many national brands available to choose from. They have an advantage with their “no sugar added, lower calorie” approach as well. Many consumers are paying attention to the calorie count and added sugars in beverages they buy.

In short, I do believe that this campaign will make a big splash for a small player in the energy beverage category. They really took a personal approach with their consumer and understood who is they are targeting and why the consumer needs this product to be saved from the “Working Dead” syndrome that we all experience.

Unknown said...

I think this campaign will do well. 'The Walking Dead' has a huge following, and using a product to partner with a successful show is a great idea. 5-hour energy is currently the leading brand for energy drinks, especially in the workplace. However, any new product that has similar effects, has to be able to differentiate itself for there to be any success. And therefore, "fighting the working dead one can at a time," sounds like a fun, novel strategy to me. Good job Solixir!

Anonymous said...

It sounds fun a lot to me.I think this campaign will still work well to build a unique bland image even if this campaign itself lasts just temporaly.This campaign can get attentions by people, and they will get to know Solixir and be interested in it, some will be funs of this small cimpany.They will look forward to Solixir's next campaign.This unique style is attractive to specific group I think, but it is possible that those people will be the reglar target for Solixir. Anyway, this drink will be effective for hangover person like a zombie..

Satoko