Lynx island giveaway exposes entrants to a whiff of chaos

Lynx Effect's "Chaos Island" campaign took center stage on Facebook

The Offer: Babes, booze, bikinis, pizza, pillow fights—and ninjas? That's what Unilever-owned Lynx brand was offering those who entered its summer “Chaos Island” campaign. Visitors to the U.K. Lynx Effect Facebook page had seven chances to take part in a digital treasure hunt to win 14 tickets to a three-day Caribbean island party with 20 “Lynx girls.” (As the brand states in its explanatory video: “Seriously. This isn't a joke. We've got an island.”) Participants were given tantalizing and time-sensitive clues through videos hosted by blonde British surfer Sophie Hellyer. Tweets mentioning #chasethechaos helped reveal the clues more quickly.

The Data: The Lynx Facebook page had just over one million “likes” and more than 48,000 followers on Twitter as of mid-October 2012.

The Channel: Home base for Lynx's chaotic campaign, which cost Unilever the equivalent of roughly $7.2 million, was Facebook, where the app took center stage. In addition to a TV awareness push by Bartle Bogle Hegarty, creative agency Tullo Marshall Warren teamed with clickTAG to develop the digital elements, including a YouTube masthead that allowed users to navigate a virtual ship with their smartphones.

The Creative: The clues had players running all over the Web, including using Google to crack Morse code and deciphering backwards URLs.

The Verdict:

Kevin Drew Davis is executive creative director at Digitas Chicago and San Francisco. Davis has also led creative teams at Wieden & Kennedy and The Richards Group and has collaborated with top brands, including Audi, Calvin Klein, and Coca-Cola. Read our Q&A with Kevin for more.

The time sensitivity of the treasure hunts gives a sense of urgency and scarcity often missing from online campaigns. I enjoyed the idea of entering an “answer” into Google, which hacks the idea of search and SEM/SEO. This was a great, integrated program.