Doritos: Internet-based Loyalty Marketing winner

AWARD CATEGORY: Internet-based Loyalty Marketing
CAMPAIGN: Doritos
AGENCY: The Marketing Arm
CLIENT: Doritos

Doritos liked its spot as the No. 1 tortilla chip. But as time wore on and the number of chips on the market began to crowd grocery store shelves, its true-blue customer—16 to 24 year olds—began to slip away.

The Marketing Arm last May created an online reality game spanning a five-week period that resulted in a 200% increase in sales and a halo effect that boosted revenue another 150%.

More than 70,000 players registered to set off on a quest to locate a mystery treasure worth $100,000 and more than 650,000 visited the site.

A teaser campaign and Web site kicked off the launch and became the gathering place for players. At the site, people threw a Doritos-shaped object to break a wall and get to a countdown clock and a prompt to enter their e-mail address.

The promotion’s microsite, www.DoritosTheQuest.com featured an interactive phased experience where consumers had to solve puzzles in order to advance. Players could track their progress online and see how they were progressing against other players.

The search for clues sent players to look in stores on packaging and on P-O-P displays that would connect the pieces of a large puzzle that when completed would reveal the location of the treasure in Las Vegas. Partner sites also featured clues, hints and a video walk-through on how to solve the puzzle. E-mail blasts, instant messages, interactive banners and blog ads also supported the promotion.

Game play began with players guessing the flavor of a mystery chip known only as The Quest by going to www.SnackStrongProductions.com. Once registered, they found their first set of challenges. Over the next five weeks, players made their way through two additional chapters and a final puzzle.

Three finalists were flown to Las Vegas to compete in the final challenge, which was filmed an aired online.