Robbie Thain
Founder, CEO
AI-generated illustrative image. Not an official campaign image.
Nexon’s MAPLE ATTACK! with LOTTE won the 2026 Brand of the Year Campaign award. We analyze the logistics and field execution of this massive multi-venue campaign.
On September 7, 2026, Nexon announced that its "MAPLE ATTACK! with LOTTE" program won the Campaign category at the 2026 Brand of the Year Awards. The Korea Consumer Forum organized these awards. They introduced the Campaign category for the first time in 2026 to evaluate campaigns conducted by corporations and local governments. According to Nexon, the program ranked within the top 1% of consumer votes. This recognition establishes the program as a highly visible consumer benchmark.
The massive activation ran from March through June 2026 to mark the 23rd anniversary of MapleStory alongside Lotte Group. The physical footprint stretched across Seoul’s Jamsil area. It utilized major consumer hubs including Lotte World Adventure, Lotte World Tower, Lotte World Mall, and Seokchon Lake. This multi-property approach commanded intense market attention.
The program began with a seasonal festival called "MAPLESTORY in LOTTEWORLD" in March. This seasonal festival activated heavily across Lotte World Adventure. It featured character-linked interactive zones, media mapping, and themed parades. The campaign combined this high energy seasonal festival with long-term physical installations to maintain momentum.
On April 3, Nexon opened "Maple Island" as a permanent themed space. This installation covered approximately 600 pyeong inside Magic Island at Lotte World Adventure. Developing a permanent themed space requires significant capital investment and structural planning. The footprint gave fans a fixed location to interact with the brand long after the seasonal parade ended.
On April 29, the brand escalated the activation format for a massive peak. Nexon held "Happy Maple Day in LotteWorld" at the amusement park. This full-day private rental event drew significant foot traffic directly to the property. Nexon reported that approximately 10,000 players attended the targeted gathering.
During May and June, the physical footprint expanded outward into public spaces. The "Maple Attack Special Exhibition" launched at the Lotte World Tower lawn plaza. This installation featured the "Henesys Mushroom Park" space. Meanwhile, the "Orange Mushroom Art Balloon" activated the public space at Seokchon Lake.
The outdoor transition exposed the brand to general foot traffic beyond dedicated gamers. The program layered on augmented reality missions and stamp rallies. The activation also featured pop-up shops, apparel, food and beverage collaborations, and cinema elements. The scope of this activation highlights the growing ambition of online and offline partnerships.
The digital integration mirrored the physical program directly. MapleStory introduced in-game event maps recreating the campaign spaces alongside content commemorating the 23rd anniversary of the game. Managing food and beverage collaborations alongside apparel drops creates a massive logistical footprint. Each distinct element requires separate supply chain management and inventory forecasting.
This campaign provides a recognized example of extending an entertainment property across a massive partner ecosystem. However, winning a consumer vote does not automatically establish a commercial business case. The campaign earned heavy consumer attention and broad market visibility. CPG marketers cannot simply replicate the sheer scale without establishing a firm measurement baseline.
When brands rely on physical marketing to drive pipeline, they need structured execution. A credible activation measurement design should compare results against a holdout market or period. Teams must connect participation to trackable downstream actions such as unique codes or loyalty-linked scans. Experiential marketing measurement guidance recommends using brand-lift surveys alongside transaction data to prove true impact.
Placing character branding inside an amusement park is a straightforward media purchase. Managing multiple consumer entry points across a mall and a public lakeside space is much harder. Field operators often struggle with integrated field logistics across disjointed properties. The focus must remain on generating trackable product trial and immediate purchase conversion rather than just gathering large crowds.
A premium experiential campaign must function as a precision pipeline instrument. The Korean consumer vote validates the emotional resonance of the creative concept. Yet, brand managers must remember that sheer attendance does not equal a closed sale. Measurement guidance commonly recommends linking activation activity directly to sales data.
CPG and beverage brands face immense pressure to justify their field marketing budgets. They must prove that physical interactions move cases off retail shelves. For retail and CPG programs, operators must use comparable control locations. Teams should mandate the tracking of measures such as interaction rate, immediate purchase conversion, and repeat purchase.
Running concurrent events across diverse venues creates immediate pressure on field logistics. Nexon layered a seasonal festival over a permanent themed space. They also executed pop-ups, apparel events, food and beverage integrations, and an animated theatrical release. Activating these formats simultaneously requires rigid alignment on field staffing and inventory control.
Managing this breadth of experience demands centralized operational oversight. Field teams must standardize their visual execution and safety procedures across both private amusement parks and public plazas. When brands fail to plan complex operational footprints, they experience scattered consumer attention. Visitors wander through the activation without engaging with the core product or completing a measurable action.
Without strict control, high-traffic consumer events turn into logistical hazards quickly. Moving from a controlled private rental event to an open public exhibition changes everything about crowd flow. The permit requirements, staffing ratios, and product sampling protocols shift entirely based on the venue. Operators must adjust their field deployment dynamically to prevent the physical spaces from becoming overwhelmed.
To prove Return on Investment, field teams must capture data precisely at the point of interaction. Generating lines for an art balloon is visually impressive. Converting those spectators into documented customers requires functional technology on the ground. Without tracking reliable event analytics, brands cannot tell if an exhibition actually moved product.
The operational demands do not end when the initial campaign concludes. Nexon is also running a separate autumn collaboration right now. This program, "MAPLESTORY in LOTTEWORLD BUSAN," activates at Lotte World Adventure Busan through November 22, 2026. Sustaining execution quality during a regional expansion requires operator-grade discipline at every single level.
Scaling a massive footprint requires flawless face to face marketing experiences. Consumer pop-ups often fail when a lack of structural flow prevents visitors from taking meaningful action. We see this operational tension across every major CPG and beverage campaign. When a brand controls the physical space properly, the commercial results follow.
One of our clients, a Brand Manager in the alcohol beverage space, shared their experience: "Working with Makai was a game-changer. The activation blew past all our KPIs and created a lasting emotional connection with our customers. Simply outstanding work." This client saw their activation exceed all key performance indicators while building deep emotional connections with their audience.
A top 1% ranking in consumer votes across the Jamsil area proves that audiences crave massive physical integrations. Creating a connected journey from digital spaces to lakeside art balloons generates tremendous visibility. The true test is whether those crowds actually buy the product on the shelf. Marketers must evaluate if they have the field discipline to capture that pipeline.
If your brand launches a sprawling multi-venue activation tomorrow, are your field operations equipped to measure immediate purchase conversion against a controlled holdout market?
Sprawling multi-venue activations often fail when scattered consumer attention prevents trackable product trial. When marketers face difficulty measuring real ROI from live events, Makai deploys our Engagement Marketing capability. We turn audiences into participants with live and digital experiences that invite people to try, share, and act.
30 Years Experiential & Retail Activation Partner for CPG & Beverage Brands | Multi-Market Demos, Roadshows & Costco/Club Programs That Actually Sell
