An A/R-powered sneaker drop that delivered free kicks to sneakerheads around the country.
CHALLENGE
Sneaker culture is all about the drop. From retails stores with lines around the block to mobile drops with millions vying for gear via apps like SNKRS. Drop culture is dominated by brands like Nike, Kith, and Supreme, who drive the style and produce the goods. So how could eBay, a brand who has doesn’t have stores or make products, host the biggest drop of the holidays?
INSIGHT
eBay is the world’s largest sneaker resale marketplace and is celebrated by the sneakerheads for helping them find hard-to-find sneakers. On the flip side, sneaker drops are known for super-limited quantities, leaving most of the community empty-handed and upset. By tapping into its vast inventory, eBay could stand out by having the biggest drop sneakerheads had ever seen.
IDEA
The eBay Santa Sneaker Drop — an innovative new take on the sneaker drop with a holiday twist. It started with NBA All-Pro Anthony Davis trying to help Santa Claus deliver presents, but in the process, he lost 500 pairs of kicks. So eBay, known for helping sneakerheads find hard-to-find sneakers stepped in with an assist, creating an A/R-powered mobile sneaker drop sneakerheads could play from anywhere and win free kicks that fell down a virtual chimney.
Anyone with an A/R-enabled phone could play. They simply visited the mobile site to enter the drop and choose a location for their virtual fireplace. It would build in and show players what dropped down the chimney. Players got to play 5 chances a day to win and eBay gave away over 500 shoes in just 3 days.
eBay partnered with a digital experience boutique specializing in custom A/R activations. Working closely together, the team concepted, designed, and built the full mobile experience in just 3 weeks.
The outpouring on social was overwhelming with over 875, 000 social engagements in just 72 hours. Even those who didn't win loved the playing the experience and the new style of drop.
