During the World Cup, one of Europe's leading discounters, Lidl set up the Lidl Fan Cup in celebration of many fans excited by the huge sporting event. At the same time as the games were going on, the brand also reached a huge milestone—reaching 11 million fans on Facebook.
To really kick off the celebrations, Lidl developed a Facebook app that would let fans from all around the globe play foosball. Rather than just taking the form of a virtual game, a player's controls were connected to a real foosball machine, giving a whole new dimension to the competition. The Lidl Fan Cup took place over the course of six weeks, where soccer fans could play to represent their own countries and play for a trophy of their own.
Facebook-Controlled Foosball Tables
The Lidl Fan Cup Let World Cup Fans Compete Remotely
Trend Themes
1. Remote Gaming - Lidl Fan Cup app allowed fans to remotely control physical foosball tables through Facebook.
2. Interactive Marketing - Lidl's use of Facebook to host the Fan Cup, an interactive marketing campaign, reached millions of fans globally.
3. Social Media Integration - Lidl's integration of Facebook into the Fan Cup showed the potential for social media platforms to promote product engagement.
Industry Implications
1. Retail - Lidl's Fan Cup campaign demonstrated the potential for retail brands to increase product engagement through interactive marketing campaigns.
2. Gaming - The Lidl Fan Cup's use of remote gaming shows potential for the gaming industry to expand into physical gaming experiences.
3. Social Media - Lidl's integration of Facebook into the Fan Cup highlighted the potential for social media platforms to be used for interactive marketing campaigns.