McDonald's recently created a billboard that allows customers to play a game using their iPhone while also being sold fast-food, another example of increasingly tying smartphones into marketing.
A McDonald's billboard in Stockholm, Sweden, allows iPhone users to compete against a computer in the arcade game Pong by connecting wirelessly to the billboard. The contest, titled "Pick 'n Play," has users choose a menu item before the game begins. After choosing, the contestant plays a game of Pong on the large screen, controlling their paddle with the phone's touch screen. If they can last for 30 seconds, a coupon is sent to their phone.
Players don't need to download an app to take part in the challenge. The iPhone relates a user's location to the billboard and allows them to sign into PickNPlay.se via the iPhone.
Pick 'n Play isn't the first non-traditional ad campaign put forth by McDonald's in Sweden. A year ago, McDonald's introduced a billboard game in which several different menu items quickly bounced along the screen. If customers had quick trigger fingers and were able to snap a picture of an item with their smartphone camera, they could bring the photo to a near-by McDonald's location and receive the pictured item for free.
Other companies have also taken an interactive approach to advertising. Mobile advertising start-up company Kiip, pronounced "keep," introduced a mobile phone game that rewards players with real-life coupons to retail stores like Sephora, Dr. Pepper and GNC.
McDonald's strategy to tie in whimsical advertising games with free food items is one way to make sure they keep "Lovin' It." The billboard was a creative execution of DDB Stockholm.
No comments:
Post a Comment