Virgin Mobile launches Australia’s biggest ever social media ‘finders-keepers’ Christmas initiative
Virgin Mobile has launched an innovative new social media and PR initiative as part of its ‘Tis’ the Season to be Free’ Christmas brand campaign. ‘A Fair Ride For All’ will see 25 pushbikes a week given away for three weeks across the country in Australia’s biggest ever social media treasure hunt via the dedicated microsite FairRide.com.au.
The activity leverages one of the key visual elements of the ‘A Fair Go’ brand campaign launched earlier this year – the main character Robin Da Hood’s red bike. Seventy-five premium bikes of various styles have been hidden across Australia with clues on where to find them provided daily via the revolutionary use of Facebook Open Graph. Open Graph ensures that multiple tailored update alerts can be posted daily at key times of the hunt, but only received on the walls of those that have liked the campaign page, rather than all existing Virgin Mobile Australia page fans. Like the page, locate the prize and love riding off with a brand new bike.
Users can ‘like’ a hunt for a particular bike, which will then push a post onto their Facebook wall, as well as their friends’ newsfeeds. Further posts are pushed to the user’s wall via Open Graph as clues are released. Participants can also save a calendar event for each hunt to their calendar of choice to ensure they don’t miss out. The Virgin Mobile Facebook page has a tab with instructions, links and a content piece with a profile pic also reflecting the campaign. Regular updates will also be posted to encourage participation along with a photo album of the winners.
The first clue of the day will contain cryptic text hinting to the bike’s general whereabouts, along with that day’s code to open the bike’s lock. The second clue will feature a photo to help hone in on the bike’s location. The third and final clue will be a pin-point on a map. Once the participants receive their clues and are certain of the location of the bike, it is then up to them to get out into the real world and hunt it down. The first to find it and unlock it rides it home (with a helmet provided of course).
Says Virgin Mobile marketing director, David Scribner: “We are really excited about this campaign and pushing boundaries in the social media field to engage our fans. We are constantly seeking out ways to keep our members excited about our company and exploring new fun and innovative ways in which to raise awareness of all the great free benefits of being with Virgin Mobile.”
Virgin Mobile’s owned channels will be the focus of the campaign communications. A launch video will run on the Virgin Mobile Australia YouTube channel and daily hunt announcement tweets and updates will be sent out along with bespoke twitter hashtag of #FairRide.
Media support will be carried out through Nova and Austereo promotions, café screens and lift media and Facebook ads. Partnerships havebeen formed with key online media outlets for the campaign including Pedestrian, Time Out and The Vine. Ambient media will also be integrated into the campaign in the form of chalk stencils on bike paths and bike spoke cards.
Concept Creation, PR & Social Media: One Green Bean
Digital Design & Development: Future Büro
Media: MPG / Media Contacts
Promotions: Media Tree
9 Comments
Ok.
Listen up.
The ‘treasure hunt’ thing is done. It’s over. It’s the first and ONLY idea that’s seemingly getting presented.
Almost EVERY FUCKING FACEBOOK IDEA ON HERE is some sort of ‘search google maps, enter the code, look for the clues, search for the bikes, hunt for the fucking pizzas.
Do something else.
Please.
But treasure hunts are a great way to give students and the unemployed free stuff!!
Also, whoever coined the term ‘bespoke twitter hashtag’ needs to be shot. And if it’s a pun, they should be shot twice.
Lazy, lazy, lazy.
A mid 90’s internet idea.
Still, someone’s coining it in for knocking out this old crap. Well done you.
Treasurecunt is right it’s a treasure hunt, the difference is Droga nailed the bing jay-z and now bad attempts to copy it are everywhere.
I can’t wait until someone gets a good beating for trying to unlock the wrong bike or the cops arrest them.
One thing’s for sure of those 75 bikes 70 will probably be on ebay come 2012.
Nah not innovative just an average treasure hunt, and why bikes?
A little cynical but honestly, Jay-Z did a shit load more for the launch of his work than the launch of Bing.
Prove me wrong.
Aye, facebook based treasure honts ‘ave been round tes long as facebook.
Talk loike a pirate day etc.
How is this relevant to credit cards? Surely this is an idea for a bike company?
Nice work. great craft, relevant prizes. Saying that the treasure hunt idea has been done before is irrelevant. Treasure hunts are a mechanic, not an idea. This time the mechanic has been used well.
What is the idea then, Mike?
Why PR this on a creative blog if it’s just a mechanic?
And more importantly, if you believe that good creative equals effectiveness, then maybe you should have given you client a more original concept than this.