Nowadays, customers expect more from brands in terms of promoting their latest products and services. These customers, especially in the younger demographic, are expecting more ‘sass’ and excitement from their favourite brands that move beyond the bounds of passive promotion. This is especially true for food brands, whose competitive space gives brands greater challenges on a constant basis to stand out from the rest.
In this latest case study, we explore how Mamee Double-Decker, alongside agency partner Innity Malaysia, for the rollout of its ‘Mister Potato x Squid Game 2 Cabaran Sotong’ campaign, which blended Mister Potato’s bold brand identity to the popularity of the Netflix series Squid Game to not only generate excitement from the brand’s customers but also create and foster customer engagement.
The Challenge
Inspired by the global phenomenon of “Squid Game,” Mamee Double-Decker aimed to actively involve consumers in a “show-inspired” experience rather than a passive promotion, with costumed pink guards, disguised influencers, and physical challenges reminiscent of the series. While Mister Potato stayed front and center, an “online hijack” storyline amped up customer curiosity and emotional investment.
The Objective
For the campaign rollout, the brand targeted millennials and Gen Z consumers (18–35) fascinated by pop-culture tie-ins and interactive brand experiences, especially to those who have experienced similar experiences for their competitors.
The objectives are summed as follows:
- Create an immersive experience merging the captivating universe of Netflix’s Squid Game with Mister Potato’s bold brand identity, fostering deep customer engagement.
- Capture public imagination by transforming a common mall environment into a live theatrical event—sparking interactive brand experiences that drive two-way participation.
- Boost Sales & Contest Entries for the newly launched Mister Potato Syok Wave Hot Chili Squid flavor via on-site and online engagement.
The Methodology
Days prior to the activation, Mamee Double-Decker worked with 8 influencer profiles, each of which abruptly displayed pink guard images accompanied by urgent posts like “Help me—they’re taking over!” This fueled immediate follower reactions and curiosity, tying directly to the brand’s upcoming “Invasion Day.” Their daily cryptic updates encouraged fans to stay engaged online, anxiously anticipating the live event at Sunway Pyramid.
Moreover, new cryptic teasers from influencer accounts reminded followers about the brand’s bold synergy with Squid Game. This then culminated in a theatrical “invasion” at Sunway Pyramid, letting consumers feel like they were stepping into an episode of Squid Game—complete with costumed guards, unmaskings, and product-driven “games” that demanded direct public participation.
To deliver a truly immersive brand activation, Mamee Double-Decker approached the campaign as a theatrical production rather than a typical product demo, ensuring every element encouraged active consumer involvement and conversation.
This was then segmented into four key parts:
- Atmospheric Narrative:
- Pre-Event Hijack: Influencers’ IG accounts replaced with pink guard visuals, prompting followers to ask questions, comment, and share theories—kickstarting engagement well before the on-ground event.
- On-Site Spectacle: Pink guards distributing branded “invitation cards” added a sense of urgency and curiosity, luring spectators into the next engagement stage—the event itself.
- Immersive Brand Environment:
- Visual Elements: Pink guard costumes, “giant gift box” reveal—these eye-catching details didn’t just look good; they encouraged fan selfies, social shares, and spontaneous group photos.
- Interactive Touchpoints: Dalgona candy carving and sachet hunting forced fans off the sidelines—competing or collaborating with friends in an engaging, hands-on brand experience.
- Community Interaction:
- Real-time calls to action (“Where are my recruits?”) elevated crowd members from bystanders to active participants, strengthening emotional investment in the brand story.
- Influencer Involvement: Influencers initially masked as guards, later unveiling themselves mid-event—fans felt personal connection, fueling “I was there!” excitement on social media.
- Seamless Connection to Sales:
- On-Site Purchase: Jaya Grocer stocked the new Syok Wave Hot Chili Squid flavor right next to the activation, letting thrilled participants buy in the moment.
- Cabaran Sotong Contest: By scanning QR codes and collecting sachets, fans stayed involved beyond the single day—transforming fleeting curiosity into ongoing brand engagement.
The Execution
The campaign culminated in a so-called ‘Pink Guard March’, where the brand mascot led a synchronized route during the mall takeover and flashmob, handing out invitation cards. Onlookers followed, effectively joining the action. This then piqued crowd curiosity as groups formed spontaneously around the guards, discussing and capturing the moment—peer-driven engagement soared.
At the activation site itself, onlookers were treated to these fun zones:
- Dalgona Candy Station: Emulating the famous challenge, but shaped around Mister Potato icons (sombrero or mustache).
- Giant Gift Box: Closed at first, then dramatically opened by KOLs in pink guard uniforms, revealing the Hot Chili Squid flavor
- Sachet Hunt: Encouraged immediate product purchase on ground, tying the live experience to brand conversion.
Influencer integration also played a big role in the campaign, as KOLs wearing pink guard uniforms from the Instagram hijack storyline, revealing their faces at the event’s climax. Moreover, Reels, TikTok clips, and IG Stories were also recorded from the event, which fans swiftly shared, amplifying the brand’s user-generated footprint.
The Results
In terms of the outdoor activation itself, hundreds of onlookers followed the pink guards at Sunway Pyramid, not just watching but participating: carving Dalgona candy, scanning QR codes, and collecting sachets. The crowds fed off each other’s excitement, deepening the brand’s connection with every step.
Over at the online side of the campaign, influencer-led content across both platforms reached over 7 million followers, sparking more than half a million reach and engagements in a matter of days, capturing the buzz of the flashmob and game stations in real time.
The hashtags #CabaranSotong and #MisterPotatoxSquidGame2 trended locally, generating user-generated content of fans “trying the Dalgona challenge” or showing off the collectible sachets.
Moreover,the #CabaranSotong contest, which required product purchase plus sachet
collection, kept fans participating well after the flashmob, demonstrating genuine, long-term brand buy-in. Local digital publishers lso promoted the “Squid Game–style infiltration,” exposing an even broader audience to Mister Potato’s creative concept and further motivating prospective contest entrants.
By unifying digital hype and a dramatic in-person takeover, the campaign nurtured two-way engagement at every level—online, on-ground, and post-event. Mall visitors became active “players,” social viewers felt compelled to watch and share, and retailers saw tangible results—spotlighting how a daring, customer-centric activation can yield both cultural buzz and commercial impact.
