Sweet Surprise by Aster

An awareness stunt timed to the UAE's new tiered sugar tax on 1 January 2026. A re-engineered vending machine dispensed sugar cubes instead of snacks to show how much sugar sits inside a common drink, and a QR code turned the moment into a free diabetes screening voucher for the new Aster Diabetes 360 Care Clinic in Al Qusais.

The brief

UAE residents unaware of how much sugar hides in everyday drinks, as a tiered sugar tax took effect.

The idea

A rebuilt vending machine dropped sugar cubes in place of snacks to show the sugar in an ordinary drink, then a scannable code offered free diabetes screening at Aster's new Al Qusais clinic.

What to borrow

Pairing a shock reveal with an instant free next step gives the surprise somewhere useful to go.

Brand	Aster Clinics
Agency	Not named on the source
Talent	Not named
Channels	on-ground, digital, social
Source	Campaign Middle East