Lidl Plus: a wheel of fortune that stopped people and engaged them

Background

Lidl wanted to bring the Lidl Plus loyalty program visibly into the urban landscape and particularly activate consumers who use the app little or not at all. Lidl Plus is Lidl's international loyalty program that offers its users bonuses, offers and voucher benefits, among other things.

In the campaign, the benefits of the Lidl Plus app were highlighted through three different creative concepts: a receipt character reminded users to scan and save, a bottle receipt mummy told about the opportunity to get a bottle receipt directly in the app, and a Scan & Go rally character made known the possibility of scanning products with the app during shopping.

In digital outdoor advertising, the goal was to take activation even further. Instead of a traditional ad, the execution needed to arouse curiosity and give passersby the opportunity to participate themselves.

The solution was an interactive wheel of fortune.

Execution

The Lidl Plus campaign combined three digital outdoor advertising possibilities: interactivity, dynamic content and physically branded advertising space.

Interactivity: A passerby was able to start the wheel of fortune visible on the digital advertising surface with their own movement. By spinning, they could win a Lidl Plus benefit or come away empty-handed this time.

Dynamism: The wheel of fortune prizes varied by day of the week. This meant that the campaign content was not the same every day, and the dynamism built into the execution made it possible to offer timely benefits.

Visibility: The special execution was crowned by encasing the advertising display in the Lidl Plus visual identity. So the campaign was not limited to just the content visible on the screen.

The wheel of fortune was not just entertainment either. The winner received a discount code for bakery products in the Lidl Plus app via QR code, which encouraged them to continue their journey to a Lidl store. If there was no win, the ad directed them to download the Lidl Plus app and explore its other benefits.

This way, a single outdoor advertising surface was able to simultaneously grab attention, engage, offer concrete benefits and support app usage and store visits.

"It's a great feeling to see an idea that started from a completely blank slate come to life on the street. The interactive Wheel of Fortune I designed for Lidl was exactly such a project.

It was truly rewarding to see the idea I developed being experienced by people in a real environment," says Outshine Account Director Kasper Tanninen.

Results

Standing out from the ordinary captures attention

The campaign's impact was researched. The research aimed to find out what made people stop, how the interactive experience was perceived, and what effect it had on, among other things, Lidl Plus app usage and brand perception.

In the research, one finding stood out particularly clearly: the execution's departure from ordinary outdoor advertising aroused interest.

Interactivity and the ability to influence the ad's events themselves made people stop. Curiosity, the desire to try something out, and the chance to win benefits attracted participation.

Interactivity brought joy to everyday life

The basic idea of the game was considered fun, and functional interactivity brought something unexpected to an ordinary shopping environment. The execution particularly appealed to families with children.

In the research summary, the campaign was described as a standout execution that captured passersby's attention and offered a refreshing surprise in the midst of everyday life.

Participation strengthened brand perception

The strongest results from the research were obtained on brand impact.

The vast majority of those interviewed felt that interactive engagement left a more positive impression of Lidl compared to a traditional static outdoor advertisement. The execution was considered particularly effective and fun among families with children.

One respondent summed up the difference: "Maybe still better than some ordinary average ad."

Overall, the Lidl Plus wheel of fortune demonstrated how digital outdoor advertising can do more than convey a message. It can make a person stop, participate, redeem a benefit and continue engagement with the brand on their own phone as well.

And sometimes that just takes a wave of a hand and a bit of luck!