Coca-Cola has made a foray into advergaming with their new title, Crabs & Penguins. The beverage giant made smart use of gamification techniques, with a music soundtrack and social media links, to build long-term engagement with consumers by letting players unlock levels and learn about a story.
Available on the Apple App store, and targeted at targets teens and young adults, the free game lets players take the role of a crab collecting Coke bottle caps for bonus points in the game. Users can share their experiences via Facebook and Twitter.
Characters and products in the game are branded with Coca-Cola’s logo, which helps enforce the brand throughout the game.
The Crabs and Penguin game was developed by Coca-Cola’s Content Factory in conjunction with Ember Lab.
Stafford Green, head of the Coca-Cola Content Factory, Atlanta, said: “It’s clear that mobile phones are a passion point for teens and young adults. Another key passion is music – that is why you see that we not only made visual investments in the cinematic graphics and gameplay – but also investment in the soundtrack.”
The app is part of a broader marketing strategy that also includes SMS and mobile Web.