Baskin-Robbins Links Beverage Line With Online Gaming
Baskin-Robbins is building excitement around new flavors of its popular frozen coffee drink with its first-ever online game and a sweepstakes dangling a chance to win a year’s supply of the beverage.
The online campaign, which launched Monday, is centered around three new frozen coffee drinks flavors in the Cappuccino Blast line— n’ Cookies, Nutty S’mores, and Brownie. To support the launch, Baskin-Robbins has rolled out an online game tied to the very product.
The game, Office Invaders, lets consumers work their way up the corporate ladder in the virtual world. The online game is a tribute to the 1980s game Space Invaders and a take off office-themed comedies, including the film Office Space and NBC’s The Office. Each floor requires players to deflect fellow employees who throw pencils and pink slips at them and shout office clichés, including “Let’s form an ad-hoc sub-committee” and “We need to get our ducks in a row!”
The Cappuccino Blast drinks play a pivotal role in the game. Players have to catch the frozen drinks in the game to power up. Dallas-based Block Dot created.
“The frozen coffee beverage business has really exploded,” particularly among consumers 18 to 34—a prime video game audience, said Dave Nagel, manager of brand excitement for Baskin-Robbins. “We were trying to think of ways to reach them in a way fun way.”
Fans can play the game at BaskinRobbins.com/officeinvaders through April 30. Consumers who log on to the site can download a $1 off coupon for any Cappuccino Blast. In addition, players who post their scores online will be automatically entered into a sweepstakes to win free Cappuccino Blasts for a year. Under the sweepstakes, Baskin-Robbins will award four winners each with $300 in Baskin-Robbins gift certificates—enough to buy a year’s worth of beverages.
“This is a product that really appeals to people around that mid afternoon break,” Nagel said. “That is tough time to reach people. We thought we’d try to reach people in an office setting with game in an office setting.”
Office Invaders marks Baskin-Robbins’ first entry into advergaming, online games built around specific products. Other brands, including McDonald’s are playing in the advergaming space. McDonald’s last week launched an online game around the Filet-O-Fish sandwich in select markets (Xtra, March 6).
Online materials, p.r. and radio spots support. The sweepstakes runs through April 30. Baskin-Robbins handles the sweeps in-house.
