McDonald's FarmVille Promotion - Brands and Social Gaming

Electronic Arts recently (Sept.14th, 2010) revealed results from a study conducted by The Nielsen Company, which shows the degree to which brand advertisements within video games can boost real life sales.  The study, commissioned by EA on behalf of Gatorade, shows that in-game advertising increased household dollars spent on Gatorade by 24%, and offered a return on investment of $3.11.  Gatorade had a variety of product placements within EA games including arena signs, players' water bottles, score updates and other call outs.

With social networks permeating our daily lives, entertainment is being redefined and is going back to its roots.  It’s getting social again.  Social games already alter the way people use Facebook .  Gamers stick around longer, use more of their online time on Facebook, and log in more regularly.  Facebook Connect will only make things even more pervasive.

Case in point - McDonald’s just created a branded farm on Farmville in a special one day event. Essentially, McDonald’s will become a “Neighbour Farm” to every player in the world for a day, this allows players to come and work on the McDonald’s Farmville Farm, helping to grow things like tomatoes and mustard seeds.  Players will be rewarded with all sorts of virtual McCafe items that allow them to grow their own farms twice as fast! Plus, they also get a McDonald’s hot air balloon flyover for their efforts.

The exposure is seriously huge for McDonald’s, who gains almost instant exposure and potential brand interaction to the near seventy (70) million active Farmville players around the world. The only other brand to have partnered with Farmville was Microsoft’s Bing earlier this year.

Advertainment is a relatively new form of advertising medium that blurs conventional distinctions between what constitutes advertising and what constitutes entertainment. Branded content is essentially a fusion of the two into one product intended to be distributed as entertainment content, albeit with a highly branded quality. Advertainment, unlike conventional forms of entertainment content, is generally funded entirely by a brand or corporation rather than, for example, a Movie studio or a group of producers. However, it can be argued that this is just a new name for the same type of marketing that was pioneered by soap manufacturers in the early days of radio and television with the soap opera.  What do you think?

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The Evolution of Brand Iconography - Corporate Logo Redesigns

Let’s be honest.  Sometimes we can’t figure out for the life of us how a brand landed on a specific image or font in the first place.  Let alone why, in some cases, they had a great logo that was working for them and decided to change it (Gap)?  But one things for sure, as an old friend from Mississippi used to say, “while beauty may be in the eye of the beholder, I think we can all agree on what ugly is (Gap).”  ;)  

That said, here are thirty examples of corporate logo’s redesigned to become more relevant.  Which ones do you love?  Which do you hate?  Which brands out there are in desperate need of an overhaul?

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SOCIAL MEDIA CASE STUDIES [OCT-GB_V11.0]

Overall adoption of social technologies has effectively reached saturation. We’re now at the point where more than 80% of US online users engage with social media.  So what’s the buzz this week?


Target is now selling gift cards for Facebook credits redeemable in over 150 Facebook games and applications. - Iconoculture

PetSmart is asking Facebook fans to upload their best photos of their pets dressed in Halloween costumes for the chance to appear in a TV commercial. - MediaPost 

Cosmopolitan discusses how they're using Facebook Connect to let fans upload photographs to be a part of the magazine's new promotional video that simulates a photo shoot. - The New York Times 

Budweiser, as a part of their latest campaign, is planning to partner with Facebook to give fans turning 22 years or older a free beer on their birthday. - USA Today 

Research In Motion (RIM) is using social media to connect with their BlackBerry customers to provide awesome online customer service. - Blog World 

Lincoln's new "Best of California Road Trip" campaign is following the Lincoln MKX as it drives through California, stopping at several historic locations. Videos of the trip will be posted to YouTube, and fans are invited to vote for their favorite location on Facebook. - PR Web 

Toyota's new web series, "Standup Stories," features comedians sharing their first-car experiences and includes a Facebook tie-in inviting fans to share their stories. - Break 

American Express, in their "Action for Education" Facebook challenge, is vowing to donate up to $1 million to DonorsChoose.org when pledges towards improving local education reach 100,000. - Tonic 

Dell is combining user interests and reviews in their new Facebook application for social feedback. - Facebook 

Chevron shares how they are taking social media monitoring to the next level to build awareness of energy issues. - Vimeo 

Chevron Pulse Report: The State of Online Conversation About Energy Issues, presented by Robert Raines from GasPedal on Vimeo.
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Goodbuzz Inc. is a Digital Ad Agency that creates social media campaigns that entice consumers to play, create, and share brand experiences. Note: Any / all product names mentioned in this document may be trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective companies and are hereby acknowledged.

Social Media Case Studies [OCT-GB_V10.0]

CBS's 60 Minutes is encouraging viewers to submit 60-second video questions on the new 60 Minutes YouTube channel, which the program will later answer on the television broadcast. - Social Times 

New York Life Insurance Company is teaming up with Hasbro for a sweepstakes on Twitter where lucky followers of the company have the chance to win a special edition of "The Game of Life." - Facebook 

TwitterMoms discusses how Procter & Gamble has turned to Twitter to give consumers legitimate consumer ratings on their in-store products. - Brand Week 

Disney has created a new fan-generated website in which fans are invited to upload pictures and share their favorite memories from their Disney experiences. - Disney 

Nokia's world's smallest stop-motion video, filmed with a Nokia N8 phone and a CellScope microscope, is going viral with over 879,719 YouTube views and counting. - Nokia Blog 

OnStar is redefining in-car communications with its new feature that allows subscribers to verbally update their Facebook status and listen to recent news feed posts. - Advertising Age 

Whirlpool shares how they’re collaborating across departments and functions to provide a consistent brand experience. - Vimeo 

Whirlpool: Engaging Consumers in a House of Brands, presented by Brian Snyder and Scott Spiegel from GasPedal on Vimeo.

NBC promoted the premier of Community's second season with a "Twittersode" that consisted entirely of tweets from handles created for each character. - Fast Company 

GetGlue discusses how their partnership with MSNBC, AMC, Disney, HGTV, and Discovery is engaging fans and enabling users to "check in" to the entertainment that they are viewing. - ClickZ 

Domino's is turning to YouTube to help promote their new lunchtime menu with videos of the new menu items. - Pizza News 

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Goodbuzz Inc. is a Digital Ad Agency that creates social media campaigns that entice consumers to play, create, and share brand experiences. Note: Any / all product names mentioned in this document may be trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective companies and are hereby acknowledged.

Breaking Bad's - "Walt’s Warning" Interactive Experience

To promote the popular “Breaking Bad” TV show, Sony Pictures Television & AMC launched a new "Walt’s Warning" Interactive Experience website.  It's a great concept, well produced, and extends a dynamic, immersive experience. 

“Walt's Warning,” is a first-person customizable viral experience featuring “Breaking Bad” star Bryan Cranston that lets viewers choose their own adventure as they interact with Cranston's desperate science teacher-turned-meth peddler.  It starts with a (first person) full video where YOU are taken hostage in Walt’s old Winnebago (complete with his chemical lab).


Breaking Bad, for those who don't know) is a drama about a high school chemistry teacher who's suffering from the world's worst case of mid-life crisis and becomes a criminal (a crystal meth dealer.)  The website has a "choose your own adventure" feel and lets you navigate and interact with the video - and completely customize your experience.  Once completed users can embed, share and post it to Facebook.
Check out the site here.

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Note:  Any / all product names mentioned in this document may be trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective companies and are hereby acknowledged.

New Zealand Army's 'Get What It Takes' Campaign a YouTube hit

Recruiting soldiers these days must be a daunting task to say the least.  Let alone becoming New Zealand's most viewed branded or sponsor channel on YouTube.

Saatchi & Saatchi Wellington's did just that with their "Get What It Takes" campaign for the NZ Army.  TV trailers drive viewers to a branded YouTube Channel where they can view mini-documentaries and play a unique 'Get What It Takes' sniper rifle game.

The targets technographic profile (Forrester,) identifies them as both “Spectators” and “Joiners” – so any engagement would need to entertain, be fun and viral - without much user generated content (i.e. social platforms that are easy to access, view, and share).  Any campaign aimed at this target would need a strong digital focus, reflecting the key change in the way young people connect with brands and discover information today.

So a YouTube campaign telling the story of three young, everyday New Zealanders taking on stimulating and difficult challenges over the course of two weeks was perfect.  Online viewers follow the recruits as they learn how the NZ Army equips them with the skills needed to meet the tasks in hand.  Challenges include clearing a minefield to assault an enemy bunker, administering medical treatment to a fallen soldier whilst under enemy fire and sending vital intelligence information via the set-up of a temporary signals unit. All challenges relate to real life Army trades: Medic, Engineer and Communications Systems roles.

The game encourages virality and participation, as users can challenge friends on Facebook.  This aspect of this campaign invites users to experience "Get What It Takes" for themselves, simulating a real life rifle range, complete with wind shear, sound effects and a breathing monitor. The game-based YouTube Channel awards achievement badges based on firing accuracy and users can share their marksman score through Facebook, email or by downloading it and pinning it on their wall.  It also gives users another reason to share the content.

A simple idea well integrated and executed along the appropriate participatory channels.  Bravo. 

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From simple metrics to actionable insights that enable data-driven marketing decisions - Goodbuzz links social media efforts to business outcomes. Visit Goodbuzz or join us on Facebook. Any / all product names mentioned in this document may be trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective companies and are hereby acknowledged.