From refreshment to experience: A consumer trend emerging this summer

As temperatures rise across Vietnam, demand for soft drinks typically surges. But beyond seeking refreshment and an energy boost, many consumers are developing a new habit after finishing their beverages: peeling back bottle labels, entering promotional codes and receiving results on their phones within seconds.

The simplicity of the process and the instant feedback have helped the activity gain traction during the peak summer consumption season (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3gAb15kSWd4).

Around midday, as intense heat blankets streets in Ho Chi Minh City, many people can be seen stopping at convenience stores, small grocery shops and roadside drink stalls to buy cold beverages.

Some seek relief from the heat with a bottle of Dr Thanh Herbal Tea, while others, including ride-hailing drivers taking short breaks between trips, opt for Number 1 Energy Drink for an energy boost before returning to work.

Groups of students and office workers often gather at roadside cafes with bottles of Zero Degree Green Tea as they escape the heat and unwind from daily pressures.

At first glance, the scenes appear routine. But many consumers are now paying closer attention to promotional messages printed on bottle labels.

Some join in after seeing friends enter promotional codes, while others become curious after noticing slogans encouraging customers to peel the label and check for prizes.

A light tear along a pre-cut strip reveals a code underneath. A smartphone is pulled out, the code is entered, and the result appears within moments.

“I thought it was just advertising, but the result came up immediately after entering the code,” said Quan, a ride-hailing driver working in the Hiep Binh area of Ho Chi Minh City.

After being shown how the promotion worked by a fellow driver, he peeled back the label on a bottle of Number 1 Energy Drink and entered the code on his phone. Seconds later, he received a notification saying he had won a mobile phone top-up card worth 50,000 dong.

The practice has spread beyond ride-hailing drivers to customers at roadside drink stalls.

Quynh, who runs a beverage shop in the Van Phuc urban area of Ho Chi Minh City, said many customers now remain at her shop after purchasing products such as Zero Degree Green Tea, Number 1 Energy Drink and Dr Thanh Herbal Tea in order to enter codes and test their luck.

“At first, I didn’t pay much attention. Then I noticed customers keeping their bottles after drinking, entering codes and showing each other prizes they had won,” she said.

According to Quynh, several customers have won mobile phone top-up cards during a single lunch period, encouraging others nearby to participate.

Part of the appeal lies in the simplicity of the process. Consumers only need to peel the label, retrieve the code and enter it on the promotional website https://xengaytrunglien.com/ or send it via text message to 6020. Results are displayed within seconds on mobile.

The entire process takes less than a minute and does not require downloading an application, creating an account or completing multiple verification steps.

For many consumers, particularly ride-hailing drivers, factory workers and older customers who may not be comfortable with complex smartphone applications, the straightforward mechanism has made participation easy and appealing.

As a result, the habit of checking under bottle labels after finishing a drink has spread rapidly through word of mouth. At roadside stalls, grocery stores and rest stops, it is increasingly common to see consumers entering codes on their phones moments after taking their last sip.

According to the promotion's organizers, more than 500,000 mobile phone top-up prizes are being distributed nationwide during the campaign, which runs from April 20 to August 31, 2026.

More than 60,000 prizes have already been claimed, while hundreds of thousands remain available.

In addition to instant rewards, participants can enter draws for three grand prizes worth VND100 million ($3,796) each and 30 first prizes worth VND10 million each. Winners will be selected through publicly livestreamed draws scheduled for June 4, July 20 and September 4.

For many consumers enduring Vietnam's summer heat, what began as a simple way to quench thirst is increasingly becoming part of a broader experience.

The process requires little time, involves minimal effort and delivers results almost instantly. That may explain why many consumers no longer discard their bottles immediately after finishing their drinks. Instead, they pause for a few extra seconds to peel back the label and check whether a prize notification might appear on their phones.