PAXIEL Promotion Campaign

In Japanese, the onomatopoeic word “PAKIH!” depicts the sound of an intense “crack” or “snap.” This signature “PAKIH!” sound is delivered upon first bit of a Paxiel ice cream bar through its sensational texture, which is due to Morinaga's unique manufacturing method of wrapping a 7mm thick layer of chocolate around the inner ice cream. Through experiments conducted by a specialized institution, it was demonstrated that Paxiel’s unique biting sensation could actually reduce stress! We took this as a point of inspiration to plan and design the digital campaign: “PAKIH! - a Quick Break” to reflect how Paxiel can be a relaxing companion in busy modern life. One of monopo's key goals was to ensure that our work directly increases sales by creating two interactive SNS campaigns and incentive strategies. Incorporating the hook for each customer to win prizes, the campaigns create a direct incentive to purchase Paxiel while being comforted with soothing audio affirmations by their favorite voice actor. With a total of 8 unique script variations, the audio invites listeners to experience the soothing ASMR effect of the cold chocolate “PAKIH!” alongside sweetly whispered words.

The relaxing audio at the heart of the campaign features two popular voice actors as the two flavors of Paxiel. Takuya Eguchi played the role of "Rich Chocolate,” and Soma Saito played the role of "Sweet and Mellow Vanilla." The ASMR sound creates a deeply soothing sensation of the actors whispering by your side as one takes the first bite. The whispered words allow the viewer to “Take the break you need" across eight different situations: from praise for their daily efforts to a simple kind phrase. A key feature of the campaign is its interactive design, combining crisp audio with a smartphone’s gyro function to simulate an immersive experience. When the user’s smartphone is placed horizontally over the website, the voice actor can be heard softly saying, "Hey, have a bite." The user is then urged to raise the smartphone upward, where a satisfying "PAKIH!" sound is revealed. Working closely with our in-house engineers from the campaign’s initial planning stage, we were able to make full use of cutting edge technology.

Focusing on creating a lasting impression on SNS, particularly Twitter, we created extra interactive elements that can be shared across platforms. In the relaxing voice bites, a secret voice is played if a user does not 'eat' for a certain period of time after being urged to. Similarly, by entering the secret password written on the 'lucky stick' (only available after enjoying the product) one unlocks a special voice feature of the two actors appearing together. These strategic elements of the campaign have already created a significant buzz on social media and added to the campaign's success as a whole. As an additional element, we introduced a gift campaign where users can win original neck pillows with the actors’ soothing voices, as well as gift vouchers that can be used to purchase a plethora of relaxation goodies. The aim behind this was to attract a wider range of social media users by creating enjoyable content for everyone, not just the fans of the voice actors.