Ideas Dispenser

We’ve seen in cities everywhere how a live statue or human mannequin street performance can draw huge crowds. From this one below found near the Trevi Fountain in Rome to the Marie-Antoinette inspired one on Bourke Street in Melbourne, the engagement factor is undeniable.

What if you can harness their street appeal and captive power for marketing? And that’s exactly what Creative Director Alvin Chia recommended for a campaign very early on in his marketing career, for a shopping mall food sampling promotion.

In short, the food tenants of the shopping centre needed a novel way to promote their food. The result? Four human mannequins wearing the white chef uniform (top hat included), covered in white body paint, with each one holding a tray of food to be sampled, standing outside the main entrance of the shopping mall, literally stopping foot traffic on a busy weekend. 

The only challenge was replenishing the food on the trays as the crowds were unstoppable. It’s a pity we don’t have any photos of the performance to share with everyone. Overall, we think it’s an exercise that puts a new meaning to the phrase “Stand and deliver”.