Mars candy brand Snickers is gearing up for the Super Bowl with a new viral video campaign that targets 18- to 34-year-old men.
The new campaign, which was created with Omnicom agency Agency.com, is centered around a Web-exclusive video series, “VIP like me,” which works as the digital arm to the “Snickers 2008 live your Super Bowl fantasy sweepstakes.”
The sweepstakes call football fans to enter for a chance to win tickets to the Super Bowl, along with invites to parties the week of the big game. The videos, which launched last week and will run through December, feature New York Giants player Michael Strahan living the football VIP lifestyle.
“Rather than just giving away a trip to the Super Bowl, Snickers wanted to give away the full Super Bowl experience, which includes access to Super Bowl parties,” said Adam Romero, associate creative director at Agency.com. “Michael Strahan has got that crossover appeal that really helps sell something. He’s more than a football player. He is a personality and a spokesman for a VIP lifestyle.”
The episodes feature Strahan answering questions from fans and teaching them, in his own way, how to act like a Super Bowl VIP. Romero said that the video is intended to have a tongue and cheek humor and poke fun at the celebrity lifestyle, while teaching a viewer how to live it at the same time. The episodes are available at www.viplikeme.snickers.com and can be shared across social networks. It has been posted on YouTube, Facebook and MySpace.
“We wanted to do something that people could be entertained with, and create content that people would engage,” said Dan Cordella, copywriter at Agency.com. “The videos can be easily linked to post and share these videos across digital environments. If the video is good, then people are going to pass it along.”
To promote the basic concept, Snickers employed traditional interactive media, including optimizing the Web site for search engines and sending e-mails. In addition, Snickers is promoting the video with banner ads on NFL.com, CBSspots.com, MTV.com, Hulu, IGN, Spike, Yahoo and ESPN. The ads are also running through ad networks, including Turner Broadcasting and Tremor Media.
“This is a Web-only promotion, because this is where the audience is,” added Romero. “These spots are not airing on TV. The campaign is built around word-of-mouth marketing.”
The campaign will run for 17 weeks.
