Dr Pepper Hunt for More
Dr Pepper has been running an interesting promotion for the last month or so, using the code under the cap principle to be redeemed for clues, which could be used to find 24 coins hidden around the US and Canada worth between $10000 and $1million. The promotion was due to run until 9 Mar but has been closed as all the coins have been found (interestingly not a condition set in the rules for closing the competition!).
But the promotion ran into some trouble, not least of which being the controversy of placing one of the coins in an historical burial grounds in Boston, not a city known for its under-reaction to such stunts. The $1m prize was buried in Houston. ARGN has a great analysis of the promotion, looking at the Boston issue and the other aspects of the game that proved troublesome.
This most significant point, however, I feel was vastly overlooked from a marketing standpoint: there was an amazing opportunity to create an interactive plot with the ‘treasure hunt’ theme, and offer a deeper experience in the realm of viral marketing and *cough* alternate reality games. Providing a more coherent viral component may even have encouraged others to excitedly spread the word and get others involved, rather than actually creating a contest with a gameplay style that inherently encourages people to keep quiet. The reason for hiding of the coins and having people hunt for them had so much potential to tell a story, have a deeper background and history, and even educate and entertain people about the Dr.Pepper brand and history itself. All of that - totally missed.
This is a key point; a promotional activity like this drives sales during the promotion but does not necessarily connect people with the brand. The story associated with the promotion is not that of the brand but of just the promotion. A buzz creation opportunity missed.
Related Stories
POSTED IN: Alternate Reality Experience, Buzz Marketing, Consumer Packaged Goods
3 opinions for Dr Pepper Hunt for More
Rick Hisself
Mar 5, 2007 at 10:18 am
The promotion could have been a great success had the company had accepted suggestions from participants. like posting which coins were found as soon as they were found to save players from driving for hours to look for a prize that had already been claimed.
rachel
Mar 5, 2007 at 10:40 am
I agree here - getting people out and about chasing for items that are no longer there is a sure way to disgruntlement. Maybe they thought it would stop people buying in the region and thought the negative feelings so of a few may be worth it?
Robert Waldron
Mar 27, 2008 at 11:37 pm
I have found a UWin cap, which I cannot confirm its code as a one-in-six winner. I am interested in finding out what I may have won, especially since the code(s) need to be submitted prior to 11:59:59 PST 3/31/08. Thanks for your prompt attention to this dilema! Sincerely, ….
Have an opinion? Leave a comment: