Giant Microwaves Popping Popcorn Take Over UK—Don’t Worry, You Can Stand Close
By Mikelle Leow, 26 Apr 2023
Here’s what’s poppin’ in out-of-home advertisements across the UK: larger-than-life microwave ovens. Or, rather, billboards disguised as the kitchen appliances.
Crunching the tropes of trendy 3D billboards, popcorn brand Butterkist and independent creative agency St Luke’s London have converted 48-sheet advertising spaces into giant animations imagining popcorn being popped in public areas.
Besides literally revolving the popcorn front and center, the massive “microwaves” come complete with audio, zapping the action right to the gazes of onlookers in London, Leeds, Manchester, Edinburgh, Milton Keynes, Newcastle, Glasgow, Luton, Sheffield, Gateshead, Derby, and Dartford.
The electronics are a little different from regular microwave ovens, with a dial inviting shoppers to select between ‘Sweet’, ‘Sweet & Salty’, and ‘Salty’ instead of the desired wattage.
There are also buttons for entertainment options, like ‘Reheated Debates’, ‘Steamy Dramas’, ‘Grilled Celebs’, and ‘Comedy Roasts’. Gives a bit more context to the idea of TV dinners, doesn’t it?
Ben Theobald, brand manager at Butterkist, tells The Drum that the installations, in continuation of the brand’s Go Grab the Butterkist campaign, aim to push Butterkist microwave popcorn’s role as an accompaniment to home entertainment.
Watch the drama pop as the billboards stay live for two weeks in the UK.
[via The Drum and Campaign UK, images via St Luke’s London]