In Japan, sales of mozzarella cheese decreased in winter. This was because people bought it mainly for Caprese salad, so they purchased it only in summer when tomatoes were cheap. Since the market in summer was saturated, the only way to grow the business was to boost the sales in winter. To achieve this, we needed to invent a way to enjoy mozzarella with hot dishes that were popular in winter.

Halloween used to be the event of the year where Japanese people let themselves go the most. This year, however, they had to find a way to enjoy it at home due to the pandemic. Given the situation, whilst it is customary to dress up to go out during the season, we shifted our perspective and decided to help all children in Japan dress up their favourite cheese instead, bringing entertainment to the dining table.

Firstly, we thoroughly analysed issues around the dining table that arose during the pandemic. We then identified the insight that mothers wanted to treat their kids to delicious and entertaining meals without much effort. This intention seemed to increase during Halloween, which is why we decided to focus on this season. We aimed to drastically change the boring, old dining table and give children a joy, by providing the easy and fun entertainment of turning mozzarella into ghosts.

We developed an AR camera with twenty original spooky designs, where people could choose a favourite character, take a photo and post it, very easily. Their unique and cute appearance immediately grabbed the attention of famous Japanese YouTubers and Instagrammers. This, added to the momentum created by an original film that humorously described how to use the AR camera, sparked the Boiiing Ghost craze.

KPI Achievement Rate: 179%

YoY Growth: 238K+

Engagement: 77K

Quickly after the campaign began, the number of organic posts dramatically increased and media exposure accelerated. The Boiiing Ghosts became a trending topic and succeeded in increasing the target’s intention of trial. Eventually, ghosts generated by users flooded social media timelines during the Halloween season.