7-Eleven is launching a seven-part vertical microdrama on Instagram and TikTok, using a story about two classmates’ late-night snack runs to promote its new Korean-inspired food range, ‘Flavors of Korea’.
The series begins today (November 2) across 7-Eleven and Speedway’s accounts, with 60-second episodes released every Monday and Thursday through to November 23. Each installment will include a limited-time discount on a featured menu item, linking the entertainment directly to a retail offer.
Directed by Danny Lee, the series follows two classmates and 7-Eleven regulars whose lives become intertwined during visits to the store. All seven episodes were filmed in a working 7-Eleven, with food integrated into the plot.
“K-dramas run on heightened moments. And some of the most memorable ones happen over something as simple as a late-night meal at a convenience store,” said Lee. “That’s what made 7-Eleven’s new Korean-inspired menu a natural fit. We built 7 vertical episodes around it and shot all of them in a real 7-Eleven with the food at every turning point.”
He added: “In this genre the style is core to the storytelling, so we leaned into those familiar devices with some American cinematic flair, from the characters and humour to the visual details and, of course, the food from 7-Eleven.”
The campaign adds to a growing list of brands exploring microdrama as a form of branded entertainment, using short, serialised stories to encourage repeat viewing while incorporating products into the narrative.
Recent examples include Sol de Janeiro’s partnership with Channel 4 on The Guest List, a five-part vertical drama for the broadcaster’s social platforms. Maybelline has also used the format for Maybe This Christmas, a five-part festive series starring Lacey Chabert and Dustin Milligan.
For 7-Eleven, the episodic discounts add a sales incentive to that storytelling approach, giving viewers an offer connected to the food they have just seen on screen.
