Doritos takes gaming to another level
By Hugh Jordan. Two-way ID3
. Every brand sets out to lead the pack, but in its latest campaign, Doritos lets its pack do the leading.
The crisp manufacturer’s online video game, ID3, challenges players to discover the flavour of a mystery pack of Doritos – a bag that has also had a real-world release and is on shelves now.
“We wanted a way to advertise the new product in an exciting, differentiated way,” says Pete Charles, marketing manager of Doritos at Pepsico.
At the start of the game, players are briefed by a police officer about a master criminal who is hijacking people’s identities, with users’ apparently at risk. ID3 draws players in by allowing them to make choices affecting the outcome of the game. For example, in the very first scene, police arrive. Should they (a) answer the door, or (b) jump out of the window?
A code on the back of every mystery pack grants the consumer access to ID3, giving them six lives with which to complete a level. Run out of lives? Buy another bag.
The first level is already online, a second is slated for release this week, and the third arrives at the end of August.
Charles believes ID3 is a natural progression from the UGC offerings Doritos has become known for.
“With campaigns like You Make It, We Play It, we gave consumers the chance to have their film screened on TV,” he says. “Again, with this campaign we wanted to involve and empower our consumers. People love things that are intriguing or exciting.”
Although the public didn’t create the game or shoot the footage – Rehab and Upset TV, respectively, take credit for that – they will get to be part of the content.
“By using Facebook Connect, people can incorporate images and details from their Facebook account into the story,” Charles explains. “For example, at one point in the game, a protagonist might have the person’s photo, or a photo of one of their friends, on the wall of his office.”
Those that complete all three levels and discover the mystery flavour get entered into a draw. In September, once the mystery is solved, a winner will be chosen and whisked off to an undisclosed location where they will get to choose from three unmarked briefcases – one containing £50,000, the others significantly less.
So, is this type of integrated virtual/real world campaign something we’ll see more of from Doritos?
“It’s certainly something that’s becoming more prevalent with brands in general,” says Charles. “We like to stay a step ahead of our competitors, but we’ll certainly continue to devise campaigns that involve our consumers in a two-way conversation.”
