A&E is promoting its new series, “Breakout Kings,” with a sweepstakes where players hunt down augmented-reality fugitives on their iPhones.
The “Catch a Con” sweepstakes, run by augmented reality platform GoldRun, pulls players into the plotline of the show to hunt down escaped prisoners hiding out in New York’s Union Square, Chicago’s Magnificent Mile, Philadelphia’s Rittenhouse Row and in Los Angeles and San Francisco.
In January, Esquire magazine collaborated with book retailer Barnes & Noble using the GoldRun platform to launch two campaigns that brought its pages to life in the real world via geo-tagging over smartphones. And last fall, Scion used AR for an online game.
Under the “Catch a Con” sweeps other brands also get exposure when cons try to blend into society by ditching their orange prison uniforms for more stylish clothes at the nearest Kenneth Cole, Brooklyn Industries and OMG Jeans retailers. The sweepstakes ends March 31.
Once any of the prisoners are caught, players can enter the sweepstakes for a chance to win cash "rewards" ranging from $500 to $2500, view the "Breakout Kings" trailer, and share images of themselves catching the bad guys on Facebook. GoldRun images of participants apprehending cons will be featured on the A&E Facebook page. The series began Sunday.
"Catch A Con" is part of a larger "Breakout Kings" promotional campaign orange prison jumpsuits sprung up, along with brand reps dressed a cons, in five cities. Civic Entertainment Group runs the street marketing portion of the campaign.
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