Inside Subway's TigerPig dance-off

Seeking new ways to appraise diners of the delights of the TigerPig, a festive-themed Pig-in-Blanket sandwich, Subway turned to augmented reality with what is billed as a world-first markerless motion capture system.

Fusing digital and physical environments for the benefit of an 18-34 target audience the campaign got mouths opening on TikTok where dance crew Diversity performed a dedicated TigerPig dance.

This found an echo in the real world with TigerPig avatars dancing in the metaverse and tweaked editions of the Just Dance game installed in UK shopping centers.

The brief

Working to reach consumers at scale with shareable content the Subway team focussed on bridging the digital divide by reaching potential patrons wherever they chose to hang out.

The idea

On the virtual side, TikTokers were invited to a competitive dance-off against members of the Diversity crew, who were captured using motion capture technology to take the form of dancing Tiger and Pig avatars.

Meanwhile over in the real world shoppers were invited to show their moves at specially built Just Dance arcade consoles complete with footpads to register their every move in pursuit of free subs and merchandise.

The results

The #TigerPigDance challenge went viral, reaching an audience of 14.6m on TikTok after employing its Premium Tenancy Placements.

The physical events were also successful, with 2,756 people participating in front of 38,000 spectators.

All in all, Subway outsold its Tigerpig target by 40,000, with awareness of its festive menu rising from 15 to 20%. Knowledge of the TigerPig also rose by an impressive 88% from last year.

This campaign was a winner at The Drum Awards for Out of Home 2022. You can see all the winners here. The Drum Awards for Marketing are currently open for entry. Find out how you can enter now.