Wyborowa is a brand for which physical meetings in a group of friends, acquaintances and family are the most important. They are the ones that create unforgettable memories, allow to strengthen bonds and meet new people. However, the year 2020 and the beginning of 2021 were marked by another wave of covid-19 restrictions and lockdowns, with fines of up to several thousand Euros for meetings outside the immediate family circle. We faced the challenge of how to encourage spending time together over a drink (which is key to the brand positioning) despite covid restrictions?

To develop a mass-product packaging that when unfolded, turns into a board game that you can play with family and friends at home. Extend it with an online mode, so it's also quarantine-proof. Not only had the packaging been turned into a board game but it also had a QR code to enrich the experience with an Augmented Reality host in the person of a 3D-scanned, legendary polish rapper - Wojtek Sokól. Fully animated, voiced and connected to the game's board and its story.

In times of COVID-19 pandemic, change is the only certain thing. To capture the attention of the public – tired and picky after long months of watching social media broadcasted content - we had to create something unique. A campaign with 'covid-proof' action at its core, defending itself regardless of changing restrictions.

We used the Wyborowa vodka packaging to deliver a unique, multi-dimensional experience connecting digital, point of sale and hundreds of thousands of homes of our recipients, providing them with entertainment and effectively distracting them from tracking COVID statistics.

We built the campaign experience across multiple channels but always around the product and the experience it delivers. We changed the rules in packaging, turning a box of Wyborowa vodka into a board game and brought 250 000 boxes to the market. We extended the experience with a virtual version of the game, launched by scanning the QR code. This mode was inspired and created with polish iconic rap artist Wojtek Sokól and was enriched with his music videos.

When the next lockdown blocked all meetings, we launched a mobile version of the game, allowing people to connect online.

We have implemented the campaign in all channels available within dark market restrictions – point of sale, SoMe, artist and influencers channels, providing extraordinary experience for the COVID times.

Wyborowa with a board game was a game changer! We reached over 10 million people and sold 250 000 boxes within the first two months. Media and influencers were keen to write about our packaging innovation as a remedy to the covid restrictions – we gathered 178 media mentions which is an exceptional achievement, given the dark market operation and the media's reluctance to write about the activities of strong spirits.

The idea of a box that contained a board game was so amazing that it influenced brand consideration. Compared to the limited editions previously produced by the brand, purchase intention for Wyborowa with a board game increased by 38% (Source: IPSOS Research, 2021. N=751).

The game itself was also an interesting experience for the audience as it noted almost 40% of returning users and the average duration of a session in virtual mode was almost 3 minutes.