The One Show
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Category
Commerce
Annual ID
OS26_SM048M
Background
Each autumn, Dairy Queen Canada experiences a predictable decline in frozen treat sales as cooler temperatures shift consumer preferences toward warm seasonal products. Traditional promotions struggle to overcome this behavioural barrier, particularly among younger audiences who increasingly discover brands and make decisions within social platforms.
At the same time, Canadians actively engage with fall through social media, using mobile cameras to capture seasonal moments and share experiences outdoors. Social platforms are no longer just spaces for communication; they influence real-world decisions, including where and what people choose to buy.
DQ recognized an opportunity to transform social interaction into a direct driver of commerce. Instead of using social media solely for awareness, the brand sought to embed purchasing motivation directly into a familiar platform behaviour.
The challenge was to connect discovery and transaction seamlessly within a social environment, allowing users to move naturally from interaction to in-store purchase without friction.
The objective was to create a social-first experience that converted seasonal engagement into measurable sales, repositioning frozen treats as part of fall comfort culture while turning social participation into real-world business impact.
At the same time, Canadians actively engage with fall through social media, using mobile cameras to capture seasonal moments and share experiences outdoors. Social platforms are no longer just spaces for communication; they influence real-world decisions, including where and what people choose to buy.
DQ recognized an opportunity to transform social interaction into a direct driver of commerce. Instead of using social media solely for awareness, the brand sought to embed purchasing motivation directly into a familiar platform behaviour.
The challenge was to connect discovery and transaction seamlessly within a social environment, allowing users to move naturally from interaction to in-store purchase without friction.
The objective was to create a social-first experience that converted seasonal engagement into measurable sales, repositioning frozen treats as part of fall comfort culture while turning social participation into real-world business impact.
Creative Idea
Falling Coupons turned social media interaction into a nationwide commerce engine.
Using a custom Snapchat Lens, Canadians scanned fallen maple leaves to unlock personalized digital offers, including an 85¢ Blizzard or free shake. What began as a playful social interaction immediately translated into purchasing motivation.
The Lens transformed Snapchat’s camera into a discovery-to-commerce pathway. A simple action, scanning a leaf, generated a reward that encouraged immediate store visits.
Rather than distributing coupons through traditional channels, offers were unlocked through participation, making discovery feel earned and personal. Because leaves naturally appear everywhere during autumn, the experience created countless opportunities for users to encounter promotions organically.
The idea integrated commerce directly into social behaviour. Users interacted within Snapchat, received offers instantly, and redeemed them offline, creating a seamless bridge between digital engagement and physical retail.
By embedding incentives into a social experience people already enjoyed, Falling Coupons turned seasonal content creation into a scalable commerce platform.
Using a custom Snapchat Lens, Canadians scanned fallen maple leaves to unlock personalized digital offers, including an 85¢ Blizzard or free shake. What began as a playful social interaction immediately translated into purchasing motivation.
The Lens transformed Snapchat’s camera into a discovery-to-commerce pathway. A simple action, scanning a leaf, generated a reward that encouraged immediate store visits.
Rather than distributing coupons through traditional channels, offers were unlocked through participation, making discovery feel earned and personal. Because leaves naturally appear everywhere during autumn, the experience created countless opportunities for users to encounter promotions organically.
The idea integrated commerce directly into social behaviour. Users interacted within Snapchat, received offers instantly, and redeemed them offline, creating a seamless bridge between digital engagement and physical retail.
By embedding incentives into a social experience people already enjoyed, Falling Coupons turned seasonal content creation into a scalable commerce platform.
Insights & Strategy
The strategy was built on a key behavioural insight: social platforms influence purchase decisions most effectively when commerce emerges from participation rather than interruption.
Canadians already used Snapchat to capture and share seasonal moments. DQ’s strategy was to attach transactional value to this existing behaviour, converting engagement into action.
Strategic principles included:
Integrate commerce within native social interactions
Reward discovery instead of pushing promotions
Reduce friction between engagement and redemption
Align purchase motivation with seasonal cultural behaviour
By placing the offer directly within the Lens experience, users moved instantly from interaction to intent. The social platform became the entry point to retail rather than simply a communication channel.
This approach allowed commerce to scale organically through user participation, ensuring promotions felt experiential rather than promotional.
The strategy positioned social media not as an advertising medium, but as a transactional environment capable of influencing behaviour in real time.
Canadians already used Snapchat to capture and share seasonal moments. DQ’s strategy was to attach transactional value to this existing behaviour, converting engagement into action.
Strategic principles included:
Integrate commerce within native social interactions
Reward discovery instead of pushing promotions
Reduce friction between engagement and redemption
Align purchase motivation with seasonal cultural behaviour
By placing the offer directly within the Lens experience, users moved instantly from interaction to intent. The social platform became the entry point to retail rather than simply a communication channel.
This approach allowed commerce to scale organically through user participation, ensuring promotions felt experiential rather than promotional.
The strategy positioned social media not as an advertising medium, but as a transactional environment capable of influencing behaviour in real time.
Execution
Falling Coupons was executed through a custom Snapchat Lens that connected social interaction directly to retail redemption.
Users activated the Lens within Snapchat and scanned fallen maple leaves using the platform’s native camera interface. Once recognized, the Lens revealed a personalized promotional offer instantly accessible on the user’s device.
The journey was designed for minimal friction:
1. Discover a leaf outdoors
2. Scan using Snapchat
3. Unlock digital coupon instantly
4. Redeem offer at nearby Dairy Queen locations
Because participation occurred entirely within a social platform, users could easily share experiences with friends, extending reach organically while reinforcing purchase intent.
No additional apps or physical coupons were required. Mobile integration ensured the transition from digital interaction to in-store transaction was immediate and intuitive.
The experience connected outdoor behaviour, social engagement, and retail conversion into a single continuous commerce journey.
Users activated the Lens within Snapchat and scanned fallen maple leaves using the platform’s native camera interface. Once recognized, the Lens revealed a personalized promotional offer instantly accessible on the user’s device.
The journey was designed for minimal friction:
1. Discover a leaf outdoors
2. Scan using Snapchat
3. Unlock digital coupon instantly
4. Redeem offer at nearby Dairy Queen locations
Because participation occurred entirely within a social platform, users could easily share experiences with friends, extending reach organically while reinforcing purchase intent.
No additional apps or physical coupons were required. Mobile integration ensured the transition from digital interaction to in-store transaction was immediate and intuitive.
The experience connected outdoor behaviour, social engagement, and retail conversion into a single continuous commerce journey.
Results
Falling Coupons proved that social media can function as a direct driver of commerce rather than simply a channel for awareness.
Nearly 195,000 Canadians engaged with the experience through organic discovery on Snapchat, converting social participation into measurable business outcomes.
Commercial impact included:
Blizzard sales increased by 5% during the campaign period
Shake sales increased by 12.9%
Successful reversal of DQ Canada’s typical autumn sales decline
The campaign generated nationwide participation without traditional coupon distribution or paid promotional infrastructure, demonstrating the scalability of social-led commerce.
By embedding transactional incentives directly within a social interaction, Falling Coupons transformed seasonal engagement into real-world purchasing behaviour, illustrating how social platforms can operate as seamless bridges between digital discovery and physical retail sales.
Nearly 195,000 Canadians engaged with the experience through organic discovery on Snapchat, converting social participation into measurable business outcomes.
Commercial impact included:
Blizzard sales increased by 5% during the campaign period
Shake sales increased by 12.9%
Successful reversal of DQ Canada’s typical autumn sales decline
The campaign generated nationwide participation without traditional coupon distribution or paid promotional infrastructure, demonstrating the scalability of social-led commerce.
By embedding transactional incentives directly within a social interaction, Falling Coupons transformed seasonal engagement into real-world purchasing behaviour, illustrating how social platforms can operate as seamless bridges between digital discovery and physical retail sales.
2026 Awards
Total Points: 3
Merit
Credits
Agency
Publicis / Toronto
Media Agency
Dentsu X / Toronto
Chief Creative Officer
Vinicius Dalvi
Chief Strategy Officer
Mary Chambers
Content Creator
Evan Chen
Timeia Buhra
Creative Director
Emmanuel Obayemi
Global Chief Creative Officer
Marco Venturelli
Group Strategy Director
Chris Whyte
Head of Design
Victor Yves
Senior Art Director
Pedro Minari Felippe
Senior Copywriter
Joseph Ruiz
Account Director
Haleigh Magill
Account Supervisor
Rachel Senay
EVP, Managing Director
Serene Gaspar
Bobby Malhotra
Group Account Director
Silvia Parkinson
SVP, Brand Lead
Shawna Hayman
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