Philippines – In the sweltering summer heat of the Philippines, Concepcion-Carrier Air Conditioning Company (CCAC) is making bold strides to promote the Carrier brand and enhance urban life with its massive ‘Carrier Cool Spot’ activation, designed to bring a refreshing chill to outdoor spaces.
For this campaign, Carrier teamed up with full-service consumer brand company Ace Saatchi & Saatchi to make the ambitious outdoor activation project possible at Bonifacio Global City’s (BGC) bus stop.
MARKETECH APAC spoke exclusively with CCAC, alongside Ace Saatchi & Saatchi, to discuss the collaborative effort on the creation of ‘Carrier Cool Spot’ and the broader implications of this innovative project for experiential marketing and urban design.
Spot the cool spot.
Confronted with the blistering heat of the El Nino phenomenon and the hot summer in the Philippines, the idea behind the ‘Carrier Cool Spot’ stemmed from a desire to fuse utility with brand promotion.
Inspired by the brand’s #ThatFeelingWithCarrier hashtag, the Ace Saatchi & Saatchi team thought of a heat shelter that would offer respite to commuters while subtly showcasing Carrier’s air conditioning prowess.
“We had several designs of lounges, giant walk-through air conditioners, and various other installations before deciding on the Carrier Cool Spot bus stop. It ticked all the right boxes—it was useful since it was a natural place for people to wait. It was visible to passing traffic, since we wanted people to notice it even if they were not experiencing the cool air in it. Its built-in tech made it an installation worthy of Carrier as the Air Authority. And its design and sheer size made it shareworthy photo bait,” Greg Martin III, executive creative director at Ace Saatchi & Saatchi, explained.
However, while the concept is nothing short of ‘cool’ and innovative, turning the concept into reality posed numerous challenges. From assembling a diverse team of experts to navigating bureaucratic hurdles with city administrations, the journey is far from being ‘chill’.
The team had to gather fabrication experts, structural engineers, electrical engineers, air conditioning experts, and solar power experts to create a master plan for the system, which entails a lot of tedious crafting and planning. Moreover, they also have to deal with the bureaucratic hurdles, making sure to align their plans with the BGC administration so that the installation integration will fit the transport operations.
The inception of ‘Carrier Cool Spot’ involved a lot of paperwork, approvals, redesigning, and manoeuvring around property rules at the back-end while ensuring that the construction would not destroy the existing bus stop.
During the construction phase, the team had to speed up construction in time for the summer season so that the installation would be relevant to the commuting public. On site, they had to make quick decisions, do structural and technical modifications, and even sleep on-site to make it happen.
Jason Villaroman, associate director of activation and consumer XP, shared, “For these challenges, we had to rely on the grit and perseverance of every team member to push the project forward. Teamwork and communication are key ingredients, but the most essential ingredient is the shared vision of creating something spectacular that is beneficial for the commuting public, which empowers everyone.”
“The Carrier Cool Spot is an ambitious outdoor activation project, but its uniqueness will set Carrier apart from its competitors, making the brand more memorable,” Yhanee Mendoza, head of activation and consumer XP, added.
Pam Mallari-Valenzuela, vice president and marketing director of CCAC, was also confident that, despite the challenges, outdoor activation is still possible through their collaborative efforts.
“Carrier is the Air Authority. As such, the brand has the capability and technological know-how to optimise immense opportunities to express this in many ways and through several means,” Mallari-Valenzuela stated.
Experiencing the cool
The ‘Carrier Cool Spot’ project is an example of experiential marketing, and for Mendoza, this medium of marketing is a powerful tool in the modern advertising arsenal. For her, experiential marketing transcends traditional methods by prioritising the consumer experience, driving deeper engagement, and fostering authentic relationships between brands and their audiences.
With the ‘Carrier Cool Spot’, consumers are allowed to experience the Carrier brand firsthand tangibly, which in turn can significantly influence purchasing decisions and how Carrier is perceived as a brand.
“The Carrier Cool Spot is a testament to the brand’s strong legacy in the Philippine market as the most reliable and trusted air conditioning brand. It is the ‘Air Authority’ and the brand you go to for your cooling requirements—complex or otherwise, big or small,” Mallari-Valenzuela said.
But beyond marketing, this activation has the ability to impact the future of urban design and public amenities in the Philippines. Its sustainable features, such as solar power integration, pose possibilities for a potential shift towards more innovative and eco-friendly infrastructure solutions.
The outdoor activation received a positive reception, with photos of the unique giant air conditioner circulating on social media. Mallari-Valenzuela revealed that they have received several inquiries from other LGUs and privately run communities seeking to understand how to make the same service permanently available to their constituents.
“We are delighted with the positive reception of the Carrier Cool Spot and how it has inspired a discussion of instituting a better standard for public amenities in a sustainable way,” she shared.
A future of innovation
The ‘Carrier Cool Spot’ stands as the first and only larger-than-life air conditioner in the Philippines. This ambitious project took months of meticulous planning and involved a vast team of dedicated professionals.
“There were details unaccounted for, as is any project that is pioneering, but the resilience and agility of the team allowed us to address these with grace and without compromising the promise of the project,” Mallari-Valenzuela shared.
She added, “Carrier remains strategically poised to deliver unparalleled cooling end-to-end solutions that are consumer-centric. Its partnership with experts, leaders, professionals, and consultants around the globe empowers the brand to address residential (home) and commercial (business) needs and requirements, whether urban or otherwise.”
Meanwhile, for Ace Saatchi & Saatchi, with its extensive experience in creating outdoor activations, each project serves as a stepping stone for continuous learning and improvement, ensuring they deliver the best possible outcomes for their clients.
From constructing playground equipment that converts physical energy into electrical energy for an energy biscuit client to orchestrating large-scale activations like the Petmaloop Challenge for a telecom client, Ace Saatchi & Saatchi has a rich history of engineering impressive endeavours. Notably, the Petmaloop Challenge involved a massive product demonstration where a single smartphone was passed around the country, allowing local influencers to livestream from diverse locations such as beaches and forests to showcase network strength—an effort that set a Guinness World Record.
“Ace Saatchi & Saatchi has had a long tradition of creating share-worthy outdoor activations and installations. So, we’ll continue to do what we do—create impactful consumer brand experiences for our clients and have fun doing it,” Martin stated.
