5 high-impact retail marketing campaigns: when advertising becomes an adventure

by Julia Pott

From March 10 to 15, 2025, IKEA set up the so-called ”Sleepomat“ ("Schlafomat" in German) at the Hamburg-Altona, Cologne and Düsseldorf train stations. This interactive machine offered travelers products such as neck pillows, sleep masks and snacks to make their journey more comfortable. Through simple interaction, such as taking a picture of themselves yawning at the photo spot, users could receive a code to unlock the Schlafomat and take a suitable sleep product with them. Of course, the campaign was also intended to boost retail sales: A screen was built into the machine where interested parties could pick up tips for better sleep and information on bedroom planning at IKEA, as well as exclusive offers for World Sleep Day. And by playing small games, travelers could win IKEA vouchers.

In collaboration with the fashion magazine Highsnobiety, Lidl organized a special fashion show at the Wilhelm Studios in Berlin. In front of numerous celebrity guests, supermodels such as Karolína Kurková presented outfits in which fresh fruit and vegetables served as fashion accessories. Pepperoni, pumpkin, pineapple and many other types of fruit and vegetables were used as colorful and unusual accents on the catwalk. A special eye-catcher was a necklace made of lemons, which stood out against the black and white dress. Lidl also presented a streetwear collection with fruit and vegetable prints specially designed for the event. This campaign is intended to underline Lidl's commitment to conscious nutrition with fresh produce.

To mark its 100th anniversary, Migros sent a sales van from 1986 on tour through Switzerland as the “Merci Bus”. From March 6 to October 18, 2025, it will make stops in 100 municipalities and bring people closer to local Migros products. Each stop was turned into a small celebration where the local population was treated to coffee and cake. Migros also gave away a particularly popular product in each municipality to thank its customers. The campaign was also intended to recall the beginnings of the Migros sales van in 1925, when it set off on its journeys with six products – and to evoke nostalgic feelings.

At the end of 2024, L'Occitane au Brésil opened a pop-up store in an original cable car gondola from 1972 at Bondinho Pão de Açúcar in Rio de Janeiro. This unique location not only offered visitors a breathtaking view of the Sugar Loaf Mountain, but also an immersive brand experience. The store reflected the brand's Brazilian identity and offered exclusive body care products. In addition, the pop-up store was established as a new tourist attraction with cultural events and activities.

Pringles launched the #PringlesFlipFlag campaign for the 2024 FIFA World Cup. Fans were able to use QR codes on digital advertising spaces and social media to vote on which country flag should be displayed on the digital advertising spaces booked by Pringles. By entering codes that could be found on the limited edition cans with country flags, the votes could even be increased tenfold. This interactive campaign allowed fans to show their support for their teams and creatively amplified tournament fever.

These examples show how diverse and innovative retail marketing campaigns can be to attract the attention of customers and strengthen brand loyalty at the same time.

Sources: Lidl Deutschland press release, Migros story, IKEA Deutschland press release, Group L’Occitane press release, Pringles press release