Mercado Libre: Scratch Your Data
Mercado Libre wanted to protect its customers from the growing threat of dumpster diving fraud in Brazil. As the region's largest e - commerce platform, they needed a way to encourage millions of users to destroy their shipping labels after delivery. The goal was to reduce data theft while reinforcing brand trust and driving repeat purchases among a broad consumer base.
Creative Idea
Hidden discount coupons under scratchable shipping labels incentivized customers to destroy their personal data.
Mercado Libre transformed vulnerable shipping labels into scratch-off lottery tickets, incentivizing customers to destroy their personal data by hiding discount coupons underneath, turning a security chore into a rewarding gamified habit that combats dumpster diving fraud.
Creative Strategy Deconstructed
Company
Latin America's largest e - commerce logistics network delivering millions of physical touchpoints to customers daily.
Category
E - commerce brands focus on the unboxing experience but ignore the security risks of discarded packaging labels.
Customer
Customers feel vulnerable to data theft but find destroying shipping labels inconvenient or easy to forget.
Culture
The rising threat of dumpster diving fraud in Brazil made personal data protection a high - stakes concern.
Company
Latin America's largest e - commerce logistics network delivering millions of physical touchpoints to customers daily.
Category
E - commerce brands focus on the unboxing experience but ignore the security risks of discarded packaging labels.
Strategy:
Gamify the final stage of the product journey to transform a security risk into a brand - building habit.
Customer
Customers feel vulnerable to data theft but find destroying shipping labels inconvenient or easy to forget.
Culture
The rising threat of dumpster diving fraud in Brazil made personal data protection a high - stakes concern.
Strategy:
Gamify the final stage of the product journey to transform a security risk into a brand - building habit.
Results
The campaign successfully covered 26 out of 27 Brazilian states. It was featured in 82 major publications including CNN, Fast Company, and Gizmodo. The initiative reached over 75 million people. It generated significant organic engagement through social media and was even endorsed by the Police of Minas Gerais, Brazil's 4th largest state, in an organic video. The campaign effectively turned a security risk into a positive consumer habit through gamification and financial incentives.
75M+
people reached
26/27
Brazilian states covered
82
publications featured
Strategy Technique
Create a Ritual
By linking data destruction to a coupon reveal, the brand creates a repeatable post - delivery habit that ensures customer safety while driving future sales.
Explore Technique
Creative Technique
Gamification
It turns the tedious task of shredding labels into a game where users play to win a discount, effectively using rewards to drive a specific security behavior.
Explore Technique
Craft Breakdown
The campaign's brilliance lies in its physical product design and behavioral psychology, turning a mundane security task into a rewarding game.
The redesign of the shipping label itself is the core innovation, solving a complex security problem with a simple physical interaction.
The strategic use of influencers and news outlets ensured the message reached 75 million people organically without traditional ad spend.
The synergy between physical product design and social media strategy turned a utility into a viral movement.
