Examples of interactive branding are emerging across industries and delivering measurable impact on customer engagement and brand perception. One example is Coca-Cola’s collaboration with Snapchat during the 2024 Paris Summer Olympics, where it introduced an AR-powered vending machine. Users interacted through body gestures and a multilingual icon-based interface to unlock drinks and exclusive merchandise. The experience delivered an average engagement time of 2.5 minutes per user and generated more than 1.7 million impressions on Snapchat—demonstrating both depth of interaction and broad digital reach. 15 The luxury industry in particular has been an early mover in interactive branding. At Louis Vuitton, menswear creative director Pharrell Williams has expanded the codes of luxury by blending music, fashion, and cultural storytelling. His runway shows go beyond traditional presentations to become cultural moments, enriched with gospel choirs and trap beats. His Spring/Summer 2024 debut show on the Pont Neuf was broadcast globally, generating 775 million views on Louis Vuitton’s platforms—far exceeding previous benchmarks. 16 This approach fosters a more inclusive yet aspirational Louis Vuitton aesthetic that resonates with younger audiences seeking identity and community. Through collaborations, immersive pop-ups, and intentional storytelling, Williams has turned Louis Vuitton’s brand into an experience where consumers feel directly engaged in the narrative. This bold new experiential lifestyle must be continuously enriched by another key driver of branding success: creativity, as exemplified over the years by the groundbreaking, fashion-redefining designs of his predecessor, the late Virgil Abloh. In another example, Doritos launched “Triangle Tracker,” a social campaign that transformed its iconic chip shape into a viral game. Fans were invited to spot triangles in everyday life such as pizza slices and road signs and share them via a custom AR lens and the hashtag #DoritosTriangleTracker. The result? More than 4 million scans, above 40 million TikTok views, and nearly 3 billion media impressions. By blending AR, influencer marketing, and user-generated content, Doritos extended brand interaction beyond the bag and into daily culture. 17 15 “Coca-Cola - The world’s first AR vending machine,” Shorty Awards, accessed October 2024. 16 Joyce Li, “Pharrell Williams’ Louis Vuitton debut show garnered over 1 billion views,” Hypebeast , July 1, 2023. 17 “Doritos creates ‘triangle hunt’ contest to win over Gen Z,” Contagious , May 23, 2023. “ When we try to stretch the brand into new areas such as new customer segments—think younger generations and new territories further away from our core activity such as house alarms and remote monitoring—we sometimes hit roadblocks around creativity, media strategy, and budget constraints. So, one of the key questions we’re grappling with is how to maintain brand coherence while speaking to new audiences. We’ve also been experimenting with more interactive formats—for instance, sponsoring the first YouTube creator ever, Inoxtag , on his mission to climb Mount Everest. The project drew millions of viewers, filled cinemas, and generated extensive media coverage. Of course, initiatives like this require a careful balancing act. I mean, TV remains a trusted medium for building brand quality and trust, but it’s not always the most flexible or interactive. On the other hand, digital and radio formats allow for more experimentation, but they can dilute the brand message if not executed carefully.” — Benjamin Faveris, CMO, Orange France 18 Past forward: The modern rethinking of marketing’s core