MINI

In 2011, Mini had made slight changes to the car and introduced four new colours, so the challenge was to showcase the updated models for the upcoming year and build anticipation for them.

Mini has always been a brand that’s known how to do a lot with a little – it’s the very premise of the brand itself – and it’s also known for customization. So Taxi set out to create a campaign that would take the idea of quirky customization to an entirely new place – literally.

The Mini Vending Machine was an interactive night projection shown at different locations throughout the city of Toronto. Nine Minis with different colour configurations were displayed in a virtual vending machine and passersby were invited to interact with them by texting to a short code to select the Mini of their choice. Making a selection triggered the Mini they’d chosen to drive around in a fun animation, making its way down to the bottom of the vending machine.

Animations included a Mini whipping through an action-packed pinball machine, doing some serious doughnuts while the vending machine filled with smoke, and breaking through the vending machine glass and parachuting its way down. As the animation played, a personalized SMS message was dispatched to the participant, encouraging them to click through to a mobile-optimized web page to become a Mini Facebook fan.

High-profile locations, such as the Air Canada Centre, Queen Street and the bar district were chosen for the projections. And to create broader awareness, each execution was videotaped to produce a short video to be sent to the national press.

The Vending Machine was a hit, not to mention the largest projection ever done in Canada. It created PR and social media buzz around the world, and to cap it off, Mini counterparts throughout Europe and Australia are bringing the Vending Machine to those markets.