With a budget of just $25,000 New Zealand dollars, we were tasked with lifting Jan/Dec sales by 20% (on top of the typical 10% Christmas lift). Essentially we needed to create success where traditional advertising had failed, and get the product in front of swimmers.

To do this, we turned to a design solution, and flipped the electronics category on its head by placing the product in bottled water, to create a truly unique packaging innovation. The Bottled Walkman.

With the Sony waterproof Walkman, swimmers can now experience the benefit of music while they swim. Our brief was to raise the profile of this groundbreaking product, in order to drive sales among swimmers.

To do this, we flipped the category on its head, and created something they’d never seen before. The Bottled Walkman.

This then allowed us to hijack something swimmers would find in every fitness centre the world over, vending machines. Transforming them into pop up high street retailers, that got the swimmers talking, and allowed them to buy the product as easily as buying a bottle of water.

Word of the vending machines then spread across the globe. Reaching a potential audience of more than 672 million people.

This exposure saw sales of the waterproof Walkman increase by 400%. It went from being the 30th to the 3rd most purchased Sony product, and Sony completely sold out.

Because it was such a unique item, word of The Bottled Walkman spread across the globe. Reaching a potential audience of more than 672 million people across print, broadcast, online and social media. This exposure saw sales of The Bottled Walkman increase by 400%, taking it from being the 30th to the 3rd most purchased Sony product. Sony New Zealand completely sold out of all available stock in the country, and their next shipment has already sold out a month in advance.