Turned a nostalgic candy into a reason for adults to jump back into the pool
Adults don’t swim like they used to. Data showed that nearly 75% of adults don’t have fun in the pool as much as they did as kids. Airheads, the "unofficial candy of the pool," needed a way to reclaim its territory and give lapsed consumers a reason to dive back in. We needed to move from a passive snack to an active participant in summer culture.
We didn’t just make an ad about the pool. We engineered a reason to get in it. We created the world’s first Underwater Vending Machine, a first-of-its-kind, fully waterproof stunt designed to dispense Airheads while submerged in up to eight feet of water.
The goal was to turn a one-day stunt into a 360-degree cultural moment, so we launched just in time for Memorial Day, the official start of pool season and we had to make Airheads part of people’s pool experience all summer long.
CASE STUDYPay with Fun
To make it truly "obsessible," we removed the need for money. Instead of wet cash, the machine accepted "Fun" as currency.
To get a bar, you had to perform an underwater feat like a backflip, a robot dance, or a tea party. It proved that the best things in life are still earned through play.
The Candy Launcher
30 MPH
This wasn't a prop; it was a feat of engineering. We built a machine equipped with a specialized air propulsion system that launched candy bars underwater at 30 MPH without compromising the seal.
Just trying to grab was fun within itself, if you could hold your breathe that long.
For Sale
We listed a limited number of the machines for sale.
People could get theirs for only $7,000 and a lifetime supply of Airheads.
This "absurd" price point and exclusive offer turned a local activation into a global news hook, sparking a massive wave of earned media.
