At IndyCar racetracks across the country, a new fan village unifies and coordinates sponsor activities, with help from experiential agency Marketing Werks. At the top of sponsors’ list was generating qualified leads. How’d they do it? Lanyards.

Upon arrival, fans register and receive a lanyard with a barcode. As they move through the circuit they check in at each sponsor’s checkpoint to earn credit toward that stop. As a bonus for IndyCar, all registrants automatically become members of IndyCar Nation, the racing series’ official fan community.

An instant-win game and a sweepstakes that plays out across sponsor footprints encourage fans to check in and complete the “circuit.” The randomly timed game surprises fans with various rewards based on the sponsor, like a handset from Verizon or an old Mattel Hot Wheels car. The prizes are awarded in grand style on a central stage that adds exposure for the sponsors. Once a fan completes the circuit he or she is entered to win an all-expense paid trip to the championship race Oct. 16, in Las Vegas.

L’Oreal recently wrapped up a month-long college campus tour designed to allow students to try its Go 360 Clean deep facial cleansing collection. The cosmetics/beauty marketer left plenty of branding behind to remind students to go buy its products — full-size product samples, branded terrycloth headbands, water bottles and shorts for yoga class, as well as appreciation cards with $1 off purchase.

One unique component was a branded viral wake-up call. “The main objective was to build upon the awareness, well beyond the footprint of the event, that would resonate with the target,” says Jennifer Paganini, assistant vice president of consumer promotions for L’Oreal Paris. “The message was customized with the Go 360 jingle and had some subtle branding. We wanted it to be a part of their everyday early morning routine.”

The plan worked. At press time, some 100 to 200 calls were still being requested per day per campus. “Students could text friends with a link to download and register for the wake-up call,” she says. “Everything we tried to do to layer on to the sampling was to stay in their world far beyond our two days on campus.”

IDEA: Take the theme of a national TV spot and transplant it to an online video contest.

CONCEPT: Fidelity Investments’ “Turn Here” TV campaign uses a green line snaking through homes and along city streets to symbolize helping investors navigate all stages of life. Fidelity took the green line concept and transported it to a YouTube video contest, “Be the Green Line.” The UGC contest asks entrants to create a 90-second video incorporating the phrase “Stay on the line.” Contestants must also give the impression they are on the green line throughout the video. The finalists’ videos were viewed last month after a public vote was taken. The grand prize is $5,000.

BENEFITS: Reach a younger demographic in a very viral format. Get everyday people to interpret a key component of an ad campaign and then incorporate it into their personal lives.