Savoury snack maker Tohato used mobile internet and QR codes on packaging to launch two new flavours and create a buzz in Japan. A mobile phone game called “World’s Worst War” was designed pitting Tyrant Habanero’s Imperial Army against Satan Jolokia’s Demon Army in a war to decide the ‘hottest and tastiest snack’. Players purchased […]
Savoury snack maker Tohato used mobile internet and QR codes on packaging to launch two new flavours and create a buzz in Japan. A mobile phone game called “World’s Worst War” was designed pitting Tyrant Habanero’s Imperial Army against Satan Jolokia’s Demon Army in a war to decide the ‘hottest and tastiest snack’. Players purchased their preferred product, scanning a QR code on the package into their phones to select a faction on which to side. The participants could then accumulate points and rise in rank by recruiting friends to join twice-weekly massively multiplayer online battles against countless other players. This case study shows how to make advertising money work hard, to attract, engage and change behaviour. The campaign also drove advocacy and word of mouth and demonstrates the binding power of co-creation communication strategies. The game resulted in participation of over 10,000 people and led to communities discussing the battle strategies. The campaign resulted in increase page views on the website to 100,000 per day.
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Brand: Tohato |Media: Mobile| Country: Japan |Sector: FMCG | Agency: Hakuhodo | Format: Multiplayer Online Game
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The multiplayer online game was designed to be accessible only by mobile phone. The game involved users fighting in an online army to defend their favorite habanero snack. In order to join the war, users bought their preferred Habanero snack and scanned the QR code from the packet thus becoming a member of the applicable army.
By awarding special mobile standby screens to battle winners and offering an increase in rank as well as improved fighting power to players that recruited friends to their army, Tohato was able to promote the viral nature of the game.
