Countdown Supermarkets
Nationwide Store Openings & Relaunches
From 2018 – 2020, Create assisted in generating engagement for 26% of Countdowns 184 stores by providing decor & entertainment for nationwide store openings, promotional events, holiday activations & birthdays.
Serving more than 3 million customers every week Countdown is New Zealand’s leading premium supermarket brand.
Countdown is committed to providing choice, value, and convenience using data and metric-based decision-making to ensure we all enjoy the best overall shopping experience.
The Brief:
- Generate engagement through entertainment and decor following Countdown’s strict brand guidelines
- Enhance customer in-store experience.
- Not to interrupt foot traffic, follow health & safety guidelines, and is family-friendly for all ages
- Decor should not take away or distract visual in-store experience, rather enhance the newly refurbished store
The Idea:
- Use a variety of entertainment types suitable for each celebration.
- Considerations for each celebration were; store demographic, store aesthetic & layout, expected number of attendees & duration of the campaign (1 day – 2 weeks)
- We arrange flights, accommodation & transport of products, costumes, and the best talent to ensure Countdowns openings are consistent across New Zealand
Visual impact:
- Premium balloon decor in chrome-colored organic design in black frames for the premium city Metro stores openings.
- Standard balloon decor in matte colored organic design in black frames, standard or archway for the other store’s openings based on available space
- Custom designs for promotional market days
Extraordinary talent:
Tailored to the store’s demographic
- Balloon twisting and/or face painting for common activations
- Brand ambassadors and mascots for high traffic stores or stores with fewer children
Interactive experiences to retain longer engagement:
- Treasure hunt
- Colouring, & competitions for high traffic stores
The Result:
Consistent and efficient nationwide store openings. Each store celebrates its new layout with the most effective entertainment for that store’s demographic.
Countdown has enabled trust between brand and consumer, giving their clients a reason not to shop anywhere else.
Their long-term development has led to ongoing brand recognition across the country as New Zealand’s leading supermarket.
