In the world of fruity confections, gummies are the largest and fastest-growing segment, but also the most saturated. Amidst all the clutter and competition, Starburst saw the launch of Airs Gummies as an opportunity to stand out. With a unique, soft, and airy texture unlike anything else in the market, we needed to create understanding, appeal, and intrigue around this new sensorial gummi experience, to drive its awareness and trial.

We ignited the world’s imagination by bringing the soft, airy texture of Airs Gummies to life, in real life, launching the world’s first blow-up shop—a completely inflated corner store, Airs Market. Our post-pandemic target audience was craving in-person, tactile and share-worthy experiences, and we delivered. With a budget of $421,282, we successfully drove trial and awareness with a 2-day event in Playa Del Rey, CA and larger campaign, that immersed fans in the airy world of Airs Gummies.

Starburst Airs Gummies have a soft and airy texture unlike any other candy on the market. So how do you launch a new airy candy in a sea of branded pop-up shops? You create the world’s first blow-up shop—a completely inflatable 1,200 sq. ft. corner store designed to immerse consumers in the soft, airy texture of Airs Gummies. Every detail inside Airs Market was designed with the candy in mind. From bouncy floors to inflated walls and shelving, consumers were blown away to find every single element of the store inflated. Over 800 custom inflatable products filled the shelves inspired by everyone’s favorite corner store snacks, all reimagined with airy ingredients, nutrition facts and names like Macaironi & Breeze and Whif Peanut Butter. We catered to a post-pandemic audience that craved in-person, tactile, share-worthy experiences and delivered with a flavorful, airy experience that ignited every one of their senses.

We catered to a post-pandemic audience that craved in-person, tactile, share-worthy experiences and delivered with a flavorful, airy experience that ignited every one of their senses.

For over 11 months we worked with fabricators to bring every inflatable detail of Airs Market to life. We took inspiration from the most iconic elements of every corner store—the ice machine, fruit stand, slushie machine, hot foods station, fridge, freezer, cashier station, and even the classic bodega cat—and inflated them all. Along with the thousands of inflatable details and over 800 custom products, we designed every piece of in-store signage. The walls were covered with air-inspired vintage ads, community posters, sales signs and more.

Airs Market blew into Playa Del Rey, CA on March 10-12th, 2022. We used the store as the backdrop to capture our TVC and OLV content, then opened it up to the public for a two-day live event. Thousands of consumers bounced in to experience a world as soft and airy as Airs Gummies.

Starburst Airs drove local media buzz via Earned Media, surpassing our KPIs with 46 placements and ~56M impressions

Influencer content drove positive sentiment for Airs, driving awareness of the pop-up experience and the product launch with a 12.5% engagement rate and ~58K impressions