KIIS 101.1 hosts outdoor competition encouraging listeners to ‘kiss’ a car
A part-time Uber driver has won a car from ARN’s KIIS 101.1 Melbourne as part of an outdoor activation to promote the station’s Matt & Meshel breakfast show – with the listener ‘kissing’ a car for over two hours on Chapel Street.
The stunt, a collaboration between KIIS101.1 and The Chapel Street Precinct, ran over the course of the breakfast radio show with the ultimate winner taking home a Honda Jazz.
Participants had to keep their lips locked on the branded car and were tempted throughout the competition with alternative prizes including a $1,000 Priceline voucher and a West Elm sofa valued at $1,299.
During the competition, contestants were told if there was not a clear winner, the car would instead be given to a caller just before the conclusion of the radio show at 9am – a threat which could have resulted in contestants going home with nothing.
The Chapel Street Precinct association marketing and events director Chrissie Maus said the campaign deliberately shirked “traditional marketing rules”.
“Chapel Street can be uniquely cheeky in our marketing campaigns. We’re not bound by the traditional marketing rules that our competitors follow, so we can think creatively and be unapologetically bold to get the best cut through for our retailers,” she said.
The eventual winner, 26-year-old Travis McDonnell from Windsor, who kissed the car for two and a half hours is yet to decide if he will use the car for work or donate it to his mum.
“It was really hard, I had no feeling in my fingers and I was going to give up five minutes later, but I luckily stayed the distance,” he said.
So Chrissie, you think this is ‘uniquely cheeky’, creative and bold, and yet it follows a horribly tired mechanic of the old touch a truck promotions by broadcasters that is at least 16yrs old. How innovative. Looks like the only way anyone heard about it other than the small number walking past was pretty traditional too – paid and owned!
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Tend to agree, I don’t really understand what the traditional marketing rules were that they so successfully shirked? Seems like a pretty straightforward comp mechanic to me…
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By “traditional marketing rules” that the competitors follow, I assume Chrissy means advertising the promotion on a successful medium, rather than one she use to work for, but it would be great to be educated on what these traditional rules are…. I’m more confused by how this is “thinking creatively” or “unapologetically bold”, seems like a pretty straight forward radio station tactic to me. Also seems like a better promotion for Kiis than Chapel St. Last time I cut a few Chap-Laps there were no car dealerships on that street, so not sure which retailer is benefiting by giving away a car..
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I believe the “traditional” marketing rules Chrissie was implying are those that the likes of Westfield and Chadstone shy away from. They’re a little controversial and there is a chance that something could go wrong. The risk vs reward ratio is high and for most big retail or shopping mall brands, this is enough to call it quits.
While a stunt like this is very “radio”, it isn’t obviously “retail precinct” – which is what makes this promotion so clever!
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Marky Marketer pretty sure Chrissie worked in TV at Channel 7 and NOVA, not KIIS. Also pretty risky idea that had great cut through from what I saw/heard. At least they are not being boring like other shopping centre marketing. Also who dreams up an idea like that … that’s pretty ‘bold’ to me. It would be uneducated to say the Chapel brand didn’t benefit when the promo was all over different press (not just kiis) and also the car was from John Blair Honda Prahran from what I can see.
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A partnership between a major commercial radio station and a retail precinct, from a Marketing perspective, is perfect! Interesting to see people that don’t understand the value of cross platform.
The radio partner gets a hook that keeps the listeners engaged, and the retail precinct receives far more airtime than paid media would ever provide.
On top of that he social media engagement with a sight like that would have been great! Congrats Chrissie Maus and team. You are a breath of fresh air.
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I’d say this was a fantastic campaign leveraging knowledge of radio tactics and harnessing its creativity and reach to do something different in a retail precinct space. Sure, there have been tactics or campaigns similar in the past but let’s be honest… Brilliant ideas are exactly that! Brilliant ideas, not owned by a single entity and, certainly not unable to be used again with modifications and tweaking to work in your medium. Nowhere did the Chrissie state she was the “inventor or the wheel” so to speak.
Congratulations to Chapel Street Precinct on being BOLD enough to try new marketing options for retail precincts! You are sure to only get bigger and better moving forward!! I didn’t get to KIIS the Car… So I’ll use all my KISSES now!
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Something something I’m offended ….. something something ban speech. /yawn
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