CHALLENGE
Marlboro launched a cool innovation but immediately faced two obstacles:
- Marlboro was not allowed to create buzz on any product innovation.
- How would this innovation be exciting to young audiences that know “Marlboro Country” as “boomer” country?
SOLUTION
We transformed Marlboro Country into an über-cool, digitized ski-resort: Marlboro Ice Blaster — Marlboro’s first immersive, gamified world.
On device, on-ground, and online, fans entered a branded gameplay experience that was not product-centric but tapped into their desires for a sensorial, immersive environment — qualities that were and delivered by Marlboro Ice Blast Mega. Fans got to activate their own cool experience, using body and movement, to crush slopes, stunts, and obstacles — restoring and even heightening Marlboro’s cool factor.
IMPACT
Marlboro Ice Blaster broke the brand’s local activation records:
- 201% more players versus Marlboro’s previous gaming effort.
- 16% increase in signups on MARLBORO.PH.
- 17,600+ new users, migrants to this cool new world of Marlboro, without the intervention of ads or brand push.
By breaking the capsule, fans broke through to another world. Marlboro Ice Blaster single-handedly restored the brand’s cool status without resorting to traditional marketing gimmicks.