KitKat, VML slows down conventional vending machines in an experiential Hyderabad campaign

India – KitKat, in collaboration with creative agency VML and Delhi-based production house The Other Half, has introduced an experiential campaign centred on a vending machine designed to encourage people to pause during their day.

Called “The Slooowest Vending Machine in the World”, the installation was developed through a collaboration between VML Netherlands and VML India, with design and engineering handled by The Other Half.

The vending machine was set up in a commercial hub in Hyderabad, where it offers a slower, more immersive alternative to conventional vending machines. Instead of dispensing a product immediately, the installation delivers a KitKat through a staged sequence intended to create a brief pause for users.

According to the campaign details, once a coin is inserted, the product moves through a series of scenes inspired by everyday life in India, including a toy train, a Ferris wheel, a truck, a river, and a festive procession, before being dispensed.

“We live in a culture that increasingly values speed, especially in India, where even our breaks are becoming shorter,” said Gopichandar J, Director FOR Confectionery. “Vending machines are typically built for convenience and immediacy. With this, we wanted to explore whether even a small pause could feel meaningful—a simple KitKat break, experienced a little differently.”

Kalpesh Patankar, Chief Creative Officer at VML India, said, “While the average vending machine pops out a snack in three seconds, ours takes a luxurious ride in no hurry at all. For the entire duration of the KitKat’s journey, people are invited to do what they hardly ever do anymore: have a break. To watch. To smile. To simply be.”

Bas Korsten, Global Chief Creative Officer, Innovation & Chief Creative Officer, EMEA, added, “Everything today is about speed, about multitasking and checking things off a list. But what happened to taking a moment for yourself, to have a break? We created the Vending Machine in order to allow people a guilt-free moment of wonder in a world that needs it more than ever.”

Moreover, the installation drew attention from passers-by in the area, with some stopping to observe the experience as it unfolded. The campaign aligns with KitKat’s longstanding brand message encouraging consumers to take a break.