In a realtime marketing campaign that connects digital marketing and real-life rewards, Pepsi is sporting new packaging to support the launch of highly anticipated reality TV show “The X Factor” with Simon Cowell. As lead sponsor of the show, Pepsi is rolling out three hundred million cases that combine Pepsi and X-Factor branding, and announcing a mobile photo-sharing contest.
Pepsi is teaming up with Pongr (“the picture-sharing game with real-life rewards”) to run this campaign. Consumers who purchase a Pepsi product with the new packaging can simply take a photo of the two logos – The X Factor and Pepsi – together and send them to TheXFactor@Pepsi.com. Those who enter the photo-scanning contest will immediately be sent links to behind-the-scenes content and Pepsi-exclusive videos of The X Factor, and will be eligible to win the ‘Grand Prize’ (one will be awarded each day through October 29th) of a trip to LA to see the show broadcast live. 600 Pepsi fans will also win The X Factor merchandise each day of the contest.
Pongr CEO Jamie Thompsonsays: “Our X Factor is that we can make static brand logos interactive without using QR codes, without requiring any creative modification of the package design and without the need to download any special apps.” He refers to the partnership between Pongr and Pepsi as part of “a growing trend in mobile and social media marketing.” Fans are now able to check in with the product directly, rather than into a specified location where the product is available.
PepsiCo’s Global Head of Digital (and #RLTM Advisor) Shiv Singh says this realtime marketing campaign is “bringing the physical and digital worlds together for Pepsi consumers and The X Factor fans,” and the use of Pongr’s technology “allows millions more of our consumers to engage via our products than if we were restricted to QR codes and QR Readers.”
Will the simplicity of the technology (no app required!) attract more consumers to interact with Pepsi’s new packaging? Is mobile photo-sharing that much less intrusive than scanning a QR code? Let us know your thoughts.
