Garlic would hardly pass as a recommendation in vampire circles, but a first sponsorship deal evidently calls for certain compromises. Vladison, a fictional 300-year-old vampire, has agreed to promote Cup Noodles and its new Vampire Noodles, noodles with a hot chicken and garlic flavour. They turn blood-red when water is added, so at least their appearance suits their unusual ambassador.
Agency Cornett has used that mismatch as the basis for the It’s To Die For campaign. Instead of a vampire meant to frighten audiences, it has created a newcomer to the influencer business, interested enough in his first gig to overlook an ingredient he should be avoiding. The product is a seasonal, limited edition for Halloween, and its flavour provides a reason for the joke that runs through the various posts.
Vladison is currently taking over Cup Noodles’ channels on TikTok, Instagram, Facebook and Threads. Having missed roughly three centuries of the creator economy’s development, he has plenty to master: reviewing a product, showing what he carries in his bag and filming his own version of content called Garlicmaxxing. Familiar influencer formats remain recognisable, while his vampire experience makes them somewhat unsuitable for the person performing them.
That choice gives the campaign enough material for six weeks of social media activity. More than 40 pieces of original content and several 15-second ads for TikTok are planned, and Vladison also has a page on Substack. Audiences can therefore follow how he navigates his new job through a series of posts, with the same character moving from one format to another.
The collaboration with Titan Casket follows the It’s To Die For tagline literally. The casket manufacturer has created a special, limited-edition casket featuring Cup Noodles branding, which fans can win by guessing how many cups of noodles are stacked inside it. The casket is also intended to be sold through Titan Casket, taking this part of the campaign beyond the usual selection of promotional products.
Priscila Stanton, senior vice president of marketing at Nissin Foods, connects the idea with the opportunity to adapt even an everyday meal for Halloween. “The blood-red transformation and bold hot garlic flavour turn an everyday meal into a memorable Halloween experience,” she said.
For the creative team, garlic is particularly useful: without it, Vladison would be a vampire advertising red noodles. With it, every attempt to deliver a sponsored post professionally carries the same comic problem, whether he is filming a review or opening his bag on camera.
