I gave up after about 2 minutes, and I only persisted that long due to the emails. Colleagues told me the
Magnum Pleasure Hunt was worth a look. It isn’t.
Swedish agency
Lowe Brindfors’ approach to the “campaign + online game + Facebook integration” rigmarole fails on multiple levels. The site requires the user to lead an oddly seductive tart through a Mario Bros. like “adventure,” with Magnum treats taking the place of those coveted gold coins.
The thing is, it’s not really a game and you can’t lose per se. Just try to get caught by the bodyguard; you can’t. This is really just a linear path you’re forced to follow. Additionally, the whole “seductive woman under the user’s control” seems rather misogynistic. Who’s the audience for this campaign? Last time I checked, my wife bought more sweets than me, and she’d be rather unimpressed by something like this.
The twist we’re supposed to be delighted by is that the avatar travels from one website to the next. This would be fun, had we not seen it before. In the end, the user is forced to endure a gag that goes on for too long, and never really results in any desire/interest for the brand. Those intrepid souls who hold on to the bitter end, are reportedly allowed to share their score on Facebook and challenge friends. Yip-de-dee. I just couldn’t make it that far.
Lessons to be learned here:
1. Forcing user to click buttons isn’t synonymous with engagement.
2. If you’re selling to women, skip the sexism.
3. “Clever” agency stuff and Facebook integration are hard to align.
