Age-Specific: No budgetary parameters
April 6, 2009
The Olympics historically have been a sporting event that brought together nations, cultures and people. Going into the event, McDonald’s Corporation, a longtime sponsor of the Games, wanted a promotional event that truly stood out, particularly with younger consumers. The company, along with agency AKQA, got that and more with a Web- based alternate reality game called The Lost Ring.
McDonald’s and AKQA went into the effort with three underlying strategic observations: McDonald’s is the world’s largest fast-food restaurant, the digital revolution is connecting young people from around the world like never before, and the Olympics represent the communal spirit of coming together.
Given these facts, the companies set out to create a conduit for young people primarily aged 18-34 to work together on a common goal with limited branding elements from McDonald’s.
Beginning with what McDonald’s describes as a “proud not loud” presence in the game where there was no visible branding, The Lost Ring told the story of a mystery surrounding six amnesiac Olympiads who competed in the ancient Olympic sport of labyrinth running. Web-based players from around the world had to come together—across barriers of language and culture—to solve the mystery.
During the game’s run, which concluded with the closing ceremonies of the Beijing Games, nearly 3 million people in more than 110 countries came together to participate and form the world’s largest ARG player base ever.
Among those who were aware of The Lost Ring, an impressive 73 percent said it “brought people together globally,” and McDonald’s brand favorability rating among those who played climbed 6.1 percent.
The Lost Ring also scored with tens of million of unpaid media impression in diverse vehicles such as USA Today, The Wall Street Journal, Current TV, CNET and Boing Boing.
Ask any parent how difficult it can be to keep a child focused on any one thing for more than a few seconds. Oddly enough, Nickelodeon hasn’t had that problem: The cable network has kept kids rapt for 30 years thanks, in part, to copious amounts of the electric green slime it pours on as many heads as possible.
Slime became the key ingredient in a celebration choreographed by Nickelodeon and agency Oasis called, fittingly enough, Nickelodeon’s Slime Across America. At the heart of the traveling event was the Slime Mobile, a trickedout 18-wheel vehicle that contained Virtual Sliming Zones equipped with digital cameras so that slimees could later go home and, using the other great obsession for young kids, download their personal, gelatinous moment.
Rounding out the fun at each of the event’s 15 stops were an obstacle course for kids sponsored by Cheetos, a number of toys, including the Super Slimer from JAKKS Pacific, and several musical acts from the Sony BMG label.
After more than 345 gallons of slime had been dispensed, the initiative’s success became apparent: nearly 31,000 kids, tweens and adults participated, over 3,000 user-generated videos were recorded, and over 30,000 Nickelodeon and sponsor premiums were distributed.
Not many teens understood the healthy benefits of chocolate milk. To turn that around, the Milk Processor Education Program (MilkPEP) and Draftfcb developed a program using the BodyByMilk.com Web site to reposition chocolate milk as not only great-tasting, but nutritional, too.
The program tapped adidas athletes such as tennis player Ana Ivanovic, MLS soccer star Jozy Altidore and the NBA’s Dwight Howard of the Orlando Magic. The team then set up a monthly sweepstakes that offered teens a trip to a pro game, adidas gear and more.
The sweepstakes drove more than 296,000 visitors to BodyByMilk.com, where 32 percent clicked on to the sweepstakes page. A total of 62,361 entries were received from kids who, we can only assume, would be proud to wear a chocolate-milk mustache.