When it comes to getting more for your money and satisfying cravings like no other, Subway steps far above its competitors – with pound for pound the biggest offering, and everything being customisable.

We amplified this in the biggest way possible with an interactive 3D billboard, allowing passers-by to virtually build their dream Sub on-screen. They got to see it on the biggest scale, before receiving it for real and ready-to-eat, there and then – all cravings immediately satisfied.

Background + Challenge

With the global pandemic, our audience had missed out on Summer, holidays and simply living life to the full after having to exist in mostly restricted experiences. 

So, when 2022 rolled round and restrictions dropped, they were looking to go BIG.  

But people weren’t ordering in or eating in store, they wanted to be out, so QSR brands needed to fight harder than ever to remain front of mind. 

Brand Opportunity

When it comes to going BIG, who does it better than Subway? With gigantic Footlongs, packed with heaps of veggies and sauces, Subway owns big like no other.   

We had an opportunity to tap into it, matching the audience energy and encouraging them not to settle for anything other than the biggest this summer. 

Going BIG with the creative x media approach 

We took our Subs to the biggest OOH and tapped into 3D screen tech to make them tower over the audience, boldly celebrating our scale and matching audience appetite for going big this Summer – ‘GO BIG. GO SUBWAY.’  

But we just didn’t stop at scale, we wanted to go even bigger and push this large scale media beyond where it had been before. 

So, in a global media first, we made the billboard interactive – allowing passers-by to control the action themselves. Bringing to life another key USP of Subway, the ability to customise. 

Running over a weekend in the height of summer, the innovative 3D out-of-home experience provided the public with the opportunity to customise their ultimate Sub on-screen, before seeing their creation come to life on the biggest scale possible. 

Little did they know, we were building the Sub in real-time. So that Subway ambassadors, hidden within the crowd, could surprise and delight the public by delivering their Sub for them to enjoy. 

A bit more on the tech behind it

Interactivity had been tested on the screens but never pushed live before so we were the first to partner with the media owner to make it a reality. Innovating with them to combine tech functionality in early pilot stages. 

Through simply scanning a QR code on the screen, consumers were taken through to a custom microsite whereby they could control the action on the billboard live and build their own favourite Sub in 3D. Subway always puts customisation in the hands of their customers and this took it to the biggest scale possible. 

 Anyone who took part not only saw their Sub (and name!) in shining 3D lights but was also gifted a voucher for money off a Sub instore to ensure we were driving to purchase – able to be redeemed whenever they needed to go big. A lucky few were even surprised with their Sub there and then which had been speedily made at a nearby store – instant gratification with a moment of surprise and delight! 

Results

The key KPI for this campaign was around driving overheard conversation far beyond those who saw it live on screen – a ‘wow’ moment which would show the brand matching the audience energy and behaving in a modern and innovative way. Something that punched above its weight and drove conversation around the brand. 

We saw the campaign shared far beyond the UK, from Japan to US and across Europe - all heralding as a world media first.

It also landed “ad of the day” in The Drum and “Editors Pick in AdAge”.