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Nissin Cup Noodles taps Instagram, vending machines for marketing effort

March 7, 2019

Instagram users taking a photo of Nissin Cup Noodles and Foodbeast vending "dream machines," can win a free prize for their social media sharing. Foodbeast is an independently owned national publication, publisher agency, influencer network and experiential activation company in Santa Ana, California.

The #DreamMachines are connected to Instagram's API and accepts Instagram posts as currency. Users win free prizes, such as Cup Noodles, gift vouchers and even video games, according to a press release.

To participate in the social media gift giveaway, users press a button on the machines to get a unique hashtag, then post a photo of the machine using the tags @foodbeast and @originalcupnoodles and follow instructions to get the prize.

"What started as a joke in a campaign ideation session turned into a project combining web development, machine fabrication, wiring, networking," said Rudy Chaney, CTO and co-founder of Foodbeast, in the release. "We're hoping this machine allows for the democratization of the Instagram influencer experience." 

The machines are retrofitted 1970s-models using an Internet-connected "Raspberry Pie"computer and a hashtag session authentication system to verify posting and the active user.

For Nissin Cup Noodles, the vending machine is a way to engage with their target audience in a contemporary, digital-driven fashion, said the release.

"We've had a great partnership between Cup Noodles and Foodbeast and are excited to launch the Dream Machines for our fans," said Jaclyn Park, vice president of marketing at Nissin Foods USA, in the release. "We know how active our fans are on social media, and the Dream Machines are a surprising new way we can connect with our fans and thank them with fun prizes for including Cup Noodles in their social conversations."