AUCKLAND, Today: FreshChoice gave City2Surf runners a little extra reason to keep moving, turning the annual fun run into a one-of-a-kind grocery grab.
With more than 10,000 mostly novice runners taking part, FreshChoice saw a chance to support the event in a way that felt genuinely useful and fun.
This year, as sponsor of the South Island’s biggest fun run, the brand teamed up with dentsu Creative to create Add to Cart.
The idea used virtual shopping carts hidden inside each runner’s race bib, with prize arches placed along the course adding free grocery items as participants ran underneath.
Each arch brought a different surprise. Some made runners choose between polarising products, some rewarded a late sprint with a Powerade, and some cheekily handed out a leek or brown onion.
Once across the finish line, runners could use their bibs to collect their items at the FreshChoice Checkout Area.
“We’re dedicated to supporting local and are proud to stand behind this iconic Christchurch event again.” – Tim Cartwright, Executive General Manager, FreshChoice
That space featured a 30-lane checkout stocked with more than 60,000 products, supplied by FreshChoice partners including Suntory Oceania, PepsiCo, Coca-Cola, Colgate, Barkers, Hubbards, Griffin’s, Sanitarium, AllGood and George Weston Foods.
The activation was powered by a custom tech system built by dentsu Aotearoa’s Digital & Experience team.
It connected the arches, RFID tags, animated displays, stock management and checkout interfaces through Starlink, all housed in truss frames designed to handle Canterbury winds.
FreshChoice Executive General Manager Tim Cartwright says the goal was to make the event even more enjoyable while giving runners something tangible along the way.
“We’re dedicated to supporting local and are proud to stand behind this iconic Christchurch event again. This year, we wanted to deliver something unforgettable where all runners could participate in and have some fun with the products offered along the way.”
The result was tens of thousands of products handed out, strong exposure for FreshChoice and its partners, and more than 10,000 runners taking part in a gamified shopping experience unlike anything seen before.
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