7-Eleven Gives U.S. Election a Jolt of Caffeine

The 2012 U.S. Presidential election was a lot like bad coffee – overheated and bitter.

But 7-Eleven, the largest US convenience store operator, saw this as an opportunity, given that its customer base so accurately reflects the U.S. electorate. The challenge would be coming up with a program that tapped into the electorate’s passions while avoiding the partisan bitterness.

The answer: 7-Eleven would hold its own "7-Election,” turning coffee counters in thousands of stores into mock polling booths where millions could "vote" by choosing a blue Democratic cup or a red Republican cup. The team ensured the coffee poll would be bipartisan and fun. Kicking things off with a CofFREE day when customers could "vote" for free, the team then boosted turnout by bringing in late-night comedian Jimmy Kimmel and satirical news leader The Onion. And while every U.S. network and political site touted scientific polling, 7-Eleven lured thousands to www.7election.com, where they could track real-time results from the “unabashedly unscientific” coffee poll. Every morning for two full months, voters flocked to 7-Eleven’s polls, driven by enthusiastic media coverage (more than one billion impressions) and in-store promotions timed around campaign debates and speeches.

By Election Day, more than 7 million "votes" had been cast, generating thousands of Facebook and Twitter photos of voters proudly holding up blue or red 7-Election cups. And the mock poll brewed up major media results – more than one billion impressions in top tier national media outlets -- as well as strong increases in both coffee and in-store sales in 7-Eleven stores nationwide.

In the months leading up to the election, we identified partners who fit our audience and tone. For TV, we chose Jimmy Kimmel, who hosts the #1 talk show among 7-Eleven’s audience, and Michael Strahan, host of Fox NFL Sunday, which coffee drinkers who work full time are 25% more likely to watch. Online, we seized the chance to sponsor The Onion’s “War for the White House,” a hilarious take on the election that our target loved.

In early September, we unveiled 7-Election through a USA Today exclusive and then drove media to www.7election.com. The night before CofFREE Day, when anyone could “vote” in 7-Election with a free large coffee, we teased the giveaway with a live segment during “Jimmy Kimmel Live,” and when NFL Sunday anchor Michael Strahan carried both 7-Election coffee cups around Manhattan, we made sure photos quickly hit weekly entertainment publications and target-right online outlets.

By Election Day, more than 7 million "votes" had been cast with 7-Eleven presidential coffee cups. The national media also weighed in with bipartisan raves from CNN, FOX News and the New York Times to top entertainment media including The Daily Show. Media impressions topped a billion, and it all translated real branded results. During the campaign, 7-Eleven U.S. coffee sales increased 5%, and overall store sales jumped 8%.