Challenge

In 2020, COVID-19 completely changed how we connect with one another. Whether it's travelling, sharing a meal, or spending time together. Social distancing pushes us further apart than ever before. In Asia, Sunkist relies on experiential events to raise awareness of the brand and communicate its brand promise "Share What's Real". With all live events cancelled, how could we reach our millennial audience while the fruits were still in season?

Strategy

We identified that millennials were returning to online gaming and spotted the opportunity to bring our fresh Californian growing citrus to the virtual world.

Therefore, we tapped into the explosive popularity of Animal Crossing and created a space celebrating the sense of community that’s fundamental to Sunkist. We created one of the first virtual brand activations in Animal Crossing with a custom-designed space inspired by our California-grown Valencia oranges.

Execution

Sunkist Island welcomed gamers from Hong Kong, Singapore, and Japan, where they experienced how Sunkist came to life digitally. Visitors toured our groves, modelled our fashionable Valencia orange and Sunkist lemon-themed outfits, and took home citrus artwork to decorate their own island.

Results

Our Sunkist Island virtual brand experience successfully engaged our millennial audience, generating over 1.4 million earned impressions, 7.9 million social media impressions, and driving purchase intent with a 70% increase in page views.