U.S. Smokeless Tobacco's 'Extreme 24-Hour Challenge'

Brand: Husky Smokeless TobaccoCompany: U.S. Smokeless Tobacco Co.Agency: ColangeloCampaign Title: USSTC's "Extreme 24hr Challenge" Product Category: TobaccoTime Frame: Fall 2008Award Category: Local, Regional Market (Budget under $1 million) Product Service CategoryHusky Smokeless Tobacco is the latest USSTC entrant into the highly contested and fastest growing Price-Value segment. Husky focuses on seven key primary markets in the United States, with a concentration in C & D counties.Marketing OverviewAs a relatively new entrant into the MST category, Husky faces harsh competitive from Grizzly, the dominant force in the PV segment. Coupled with state and government regulations limiting the ability for Tobacco brands to communicate in-store, Husky needed a creative solution to break through the clutter of category noise.In order to solidify Husky's new, enduring, assertive, untamed product personality, they required a promotion that went beyond promotions, and allowed for the education of its bold enduring taste that beat Grizzly in a head-to-head taste test.So we created one of the most un-lawyer-friendly promotions ever conceived, for an un-lawyer-friendly category.Objective(s)Brand objective: Solidify Husky as the boldest, most long lasting brand in the category.Quantifiable objective: Drive adult consumers entries into newly established database.Strategy & TacticsThe Husky eXtreme 24 Hr. Challenge was a test of endurance. But first, one must appreciate the risk of this bold concept:Our original idea was to find the most enduring, extreme, bold, outdoor-savvy, untamed adult consumers. Drop them in the middle of nowhere. And arm them with only a GPS unit to hunt for a Double-Grand-Prize. And much to our surprise, that's pretty much exactly what the brand team bought.So with skittish lawyers in tow, we headed out into the wilderness...The Event:Within 31,000 acres of the High Lonesome Ranch in Colorado, we took our three teams of two adult consumers and set them free to capture as many hidden keys as they could find. Very simply, the one who endures the longest and finds the most keys wins two Ford Sport Tracs.To get GPS coordinates the keys, they were put through rigorous training and finally quizzed to gather their coordinates. Following their trek was a videographer who captured all the cuts, scrapes, bruises, and exhaustion, from start to finish. Emerging was one final victor, yet all the contestants said the event itself was the grand prize, and well worth the extreme effort.Online:No stone was left unturned in creating awareness. Even our website is called HuskyUntamed.com. On it, five webisodes tracked the finalists and their progress will be posted. (website executed by Ryan iDirect)Prospective contestants could practice and hone their outdoor survival skills with an endurance video game and Q&A sessions. (executed by Ryan iDirect)Viral Video:Five segments included the event introduction, training, team strategies, the challenge event, and finally the winners.In-Store:A chilly outdoor visual focused communication on the Double-Grand-Prize and challenged adult consumers to go to HuskyUntamed.com to size themselves up.Direct Mail:Designed like a topographical map, a drive to web to "see if you have what it takes." (executed by Ryan iDirect)Packaging:Every can of Husky during the promotion time period challenged adult consumers to win eXtreme prizes.All walks of life came to our calling. From Marines to Battalion Chiefs, marathon runners and Mt. Everest climbers. The entrants and their incredible stories of rescue, survival, and endurance, were as diverse as the terrain they were about to face.ResultsHusky eXtreme 24 Hr. Challenge was the most successful Husky program ever. It had surpassed sister brands competing for share of market, and exceeded the brand team's expectation. Not to mention, created new brand ambassadors, starting with the finalists.So much so, we are currently developing a sequel that includes a celebrity and outdoor magazine tie-in.USSTC now has the ability to PR the event, including local newspaper congratulations to the winners, advertorials, and viral videos.Quantifiable results:Sweepstakes and contest entries = 21,441 Unique Entrants = 4,509 Site Hits: total of 57,879 -- average hits during promotional period up approximately 500% from non-promotional periodSummarySuccess! As we prepare for the sequel, Husky eXtreme 24 Hr. Challenge II, we look back on this evergreen idea and anticipate an even greater event.The brand established its new enduring personality, and adult consumers now have a bold new product to interact with. Judging by the promotion results, there will be a lot more of them to help Husky be a long lasting competitor in the Price-Value MST segment.

U.S. Smokeless Tobacco's 'Extreme 24-Hour Challenge'

P2PI MEMBERS

JOIN P2PI

Related Images

Business Topic

Market Segment