Battle in a Bag
Frito Lay Canada
Issue 10 | March 2009
Agency
Proximity Canada
Creative Team
John Gagne – Creative Director; Ian MacKellar - Creative Director; Jon Webber - Associate Creative Director / Copywriter; Ari Elkouby - Associate Creative Director / Art Director; Patrick Scissons - VP, Associate Creative Director; Mark Mason - VP, Associate Creative Director / Art Director
Production Team
Michael Gillissie - Grassroots Advertising; Michael Dellios - Optiad Media; Julian Joseph - Addictive Mobility
Date
May 2008
Background
This campaign was aimed at getting a youthful target market actively involved in a low interest snack food and stirring up excitement over a new product innovation that combines two distinctly flavoured chips (Hot Wings and Blue Cheese) in one bag. The plan was also to catch consumers at times when they were predisposed for fun, to drive awareness and trial of the new innovation with something unexpected.
Idea
To dramatise the product innovation, two flavours in one bag, consumers were drawn into a battle between them. Interactive and digital out-of-home projections allowed passers-by to call the shots, using their mobile phones, a first for North America. After sending a mobile text message with the keyword ‘Blue’ or ‘Wing’, the young snacker would see the two different characters battle it out in a series of random moves. They then received a reply encouraging them to visit www.battleinabag.ca to choose sides. From there, the agency set up two opposing Facebook groups where the battle could continue.
As well as fuelling the debate with their own content, friends on either side could track which side was winning in real time and view a 60-second spot where the two characters meet to settle the score. Adding to the heat, rich media ads on key sites drove more traffic to the site.
Results
Within days of launch, thousands of dedicated snackers were passionately fighting for their flavour’s supremacy. In its 12-night run, the projections generated thousands of text message interactions, and more than 98,000 unique visitors were driven to both the campaign microsite and Facebook fan pages.
Our Thoughts
The idea of two variants of the same product competing with each other is not new. Arguably it was done better with Crispin Porter + Bogusky’s ‘Chicken Fight’ campaign for Burger King. But what’s interesting about this is it’s a direct marketing agency behind it, doing some nifty things with interactive technology. There is a growing advertising space, which is, I suppose, brand advertising that uses direct techniques because they are measurable. Ad agencies are muscling in on this territory. Except, it would seem, in Canada.