DOLE signed up to become a sponsor for TOKYO MARATHON 2015, and wanted to promote their nutritious bananas, aimed specifically towards the marathoners. But the banana market in Japan is competitive and crowded.

Recently the running world has changed dramatically with “wearable” tracking devices. And to finish a full marathon, recording running data is essential nowadays.

So we combined this insight with the DOLE banana, to create a device no runner could ignore.

WEARABLE_BANANA

The worlds’ first edible wearable!

By using a real DOLE banana, the marathoner’s race time, heart rate and real-time cheers from Twitter were displayed on the banana peel. Supporting the marathoners to cross the finish line.

Runners attached this new WEARABLE_BANANA device on their wrist and actually ran the whole marathon.

And of course the marathoners ate the WEARABLE_BANANA after they crossed the finish line, providing not just race data but also potassium and energy! Proving that DOLE bananas is the perfect solution for recovery from race exhaustion.

Comments from the runners, “It’s everything a runner needs!” “And it’s amazingly delicious!” was broadcasted on multiple national TV programs, and creating a crowd at the race.

The web went bananas! “Forget the Apple Watch!” “The World's First Smartfruit!” spread to 178 countries!

Media impression was worth over 4,400,000 USD, reaching more than 45,000,000 people in Japan alone. Sales of the DOLE Bananas shot up to 193% more than before the race, all owing to the WEARABLE_BANANA.

First cut open a real DOLE banana, and remove the fruit. Then insert thin micro LED chips, a GPS tracker, batteries and a slightly smaller DOLE banana back inside the peel.

The marathoner’s race time, heart rate and real-time cheers from Twitter were displayed on the banana peel, supporting the marathoners to cross the finish line. Once finished, after congratulating the runner and displaying his finish time, a message “EAT ME!” appeared to encourage his appetite.

We created a concept film and a webpage that introduces the device and the nutrition information of DOLE bananas.

Runners attached the WEARABLE_BANANA on their wrist and actually ran the whole marathon.

And of course the marathoners ate the WEARABLE_BANANA after they crossed the finish line, providing not just race data but also potassium and energy!

The web went bananas!

“Forget the Apple Watch!” “The World's First Smartfruit!” Spread not only within Japan but to 178 countries!

Media impression was worth over 4,400,000 USD, reaching more than 45,000,000 people in Japan alone. Sales of the DOLE Banana shot up to 193% more than before the race, all owing to the WEARABLE_BANANA.