Retailer Re-Invents Coupon With Stop-Motion Instagram Videos

In an effort to reach a younger audience, a department store finds an ingenious way to distribute discounts.

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Here’s a quick yet ingenious use of Instagram by a marketer. Working with Forsman & Bodenfors (of Cannes Lions-winning Jean Claude Van Damme Volvo fame), Swedish department store Åhléns uploaded three stop-motion videos featuring products such as furniture, clothes, etc. to their Instagram account.

Viewers who were able to grab a screenshot of the video at the particular point when a product was featured and then post the image to their own Instagram feed with the hashtag #ÅhlensDumpaMig (which roughly translates to “Åhlens Capture Me” or “Åhlens Grab Me”) were given the item at half price when they showed the post at store checkout.

The stunt was an effort to reach, as the case study video explains, “the youngsters.” You know, the ones difficult to reach with “regular” media. It was also a valiant effort to bring new meaning and functionality to the lowly coupon.

Ingenious as this stunt may be, it’s really not that hard to pause an Instagram video by tapping on the screen so as to get the video to stop where you want to. That said, it’s a fun stunt and an admirable effort to reach a particular audience. According to the case study video, “thousands” posted screen grabs thereby spreading the message to others.

[instagram]http://instagram.com/p/ourCBIAk75/embed/[/instagram]

In an age where more and more people are becoming immune to and shielded from most advertising, this little stunt is a step in the right direction for a marketer attempting to reach an increasingly hard to reach group of consumers.


Opinions expressed in this article are those of the guest author and not necessarily MarTech. Staff authors are listed here.


About the author

Steve Hall
Contributor
Steve Hall is a marketing professional, publisher, writer, community manager, photographer and all-around lover of advertising.

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