10 Clever Ways Brand Activations Have Used Vending Machines

In July 2015, GoGo Squeez promoted its on-the-go applesauce pouches with a custom, interactive vending machine that launched its products into the air. Dubbed the "Goodness Machine," the structure resembled the brand's signature snack packet. Kids were invited to catch the flying packets by pushing a button on the machine, which activated a launching mechanism that shot out an applesauce packet from the top. Kids caught the packets, which were attached to parachutes sporting the GoGo Squeez label and activation tour hashtag #CatchtheGoGo. The activation also incorporated a social media and video element, with a custom video recorder that recorded kids interacting with the machine. See more: See How a Brand Took Its Flying Snacks on Tour

Beer brand Stella Artois revamped its multisensory dining experience for Refinery29’s first 29Rooms in Toronto, held in October 2019. Called “Sensorium: Deja Food,” the experience brought guests through a series of stations designed to activate all five senses and explore the idea of déjà vu. It was highlighted by human-operated vending “machines” that displayed menus in lieu of buttons. Each machine was decorated with rows of Stella Artois chalices filled with ingredients such as apples, pepper, salt and lemon. Guests then inserted a punch card into the machine and were served dishes through a dark hole by unseen servers. See more: See Stella Artois' Human-Operated Vending Machines at Refinery29's 29Rooms

To promote Favorite Day, its newest food and beverage brand, Target recently worked with MullenLowe and MKG on a pop-up vending machine experience. The “Dance for Treats” machine asked guests to show off their favorite dance moves in exchange for full-size product giveaways. The activation traveled through Los Angeles, Denver and Dallas from June 26 to July 12.

Urban Decay promoted its Naked Reloaded Palette with a vending machine activation in Los Angeles in February 2019. Fans could drop off old eyeshadow palettes and in return receive the brand's new product; more than 500 palettes were given out within an hour. 11th St. Workshop handled scenic production.

On June 2014, the Greater Miami Convention and Visitors Bureau and Current Lifestyle Marketing placed a vending machine in the middle of New York’s Times Square. Intended to promote the city's new "Miami Summer Deals" initiative, the machine provided personalized prizes for passersby. Guests who approached the machine had their photos snapped, and staffers hiding behind it determined which gifts would suit the guest. A child, for example, might have received a small T-shirt. Other prizes in rotation included sunglasses, flip-flops and bottles of Pitbull Woman and Pitbull Man perfume. (The tie-in? Rapper Pitbull is a Miami native.) Some guests even scored tickets to Miami. Bait Shoppe assisted with the event's production and built the vending machine.

National Geographic partnered with WeWork to promote Valley of the Boom, a limited series about the 90s tech boom, turning co-working locations in New York, Los Angeles and San Francisco into ’90s-style workplaces. The events, which took place in December 2018, featured branded vending machines that dispensed ‘90s-themed prizes. In lieu of quarters, the machine took payments in the form of posts about the event on social media. See more: How National Geographic Took WeWork Members Back to the '90s

At MKG’s annual summer party in 2016, the company transformed its New York City headquarters into an immersive, car wash-themed space. A seemingly normal vending machine provided some interactive surprises: It lit up when people pressed its buttons, and a person hiding behind the machine told jokes and dispensed snacks through the vending-machine slot. See more: Summer Entertaining Ideas: a Car Wash-Theme Party

When Moet & Chandon debuted its Champagne vending machine in 2016, it became an instant hit at benefits, parties and galas. Eventually, the brand launched a new augmented-reality photo booth version that features Moet’s limited-edition Living Ties impérial rosé collection. Making its debut at The Pendry in San Diego, the new vending machine combines facial recognition and video, along with custom backgrounds, so guests can share augmented reality-enabled ecards. The original version of the vending machine can be found at Mama Lion in Los Angeles; The Ritz-Carlton, New Orleans; the Dalmar Hotel in Fort Lauderdale; and even Kris Jenner’s home.

Hyatt Centric, a Hyatt hotel brand aimed at millennial travelers, launched a pop-up activation dubbed the "explorer vending machine" in New York in October 2016. The structure, produced by Awestruck Marketing, offered more than 1,600 travel-themed prizes that were advertised on a grid. Prizes included $10,000 worth of Hyatt gift cards, $5,000 weekend getaways to a Hyatt hotel of choice and a Shinola Detroit Arrow bicycle. Once passersby posted a photo of their favorite destination to Instagram with the hashtags #HyattCentric and #Sweepstakes, they could participate in the activation by pressing a large white button to win a prize at random. See more: Why This Vending Machine Gave Out Limo Rides

Following the 70th Primetime Emmys in September 2019, Hulu held a party in Los Angeles produced by 15/40 Productions. A highlight was an on-site vending machine, where guests could get prizes including Hulu subscriptions, Lyft gift cards and tongue-in-cheek products inspired by the company's biggest shows. Emmys 2018: 28 Splashy Decor Ideas From the Week's Biggest Parties