One-of-a-kind experiencePepsi Max, a product of PepsiCo, Purchase, N.Y., partnered with companies in the technology and music industries to create innovative experiences for attendees of last month’s South by Southwest festival in Austin, Texas. Programming included live streamed concerts on Pepsi Max’s Facebook page as well as collaboration between social networking site Foursquare and Pepsi Max offering fans the chance to unlock a ‘Golden Ticket Badge’ to get exclusive access to see Big Boi, Locksley and The Sounds. Pepsi Max also offered Grooveshark Center Stage Voting contest and allowed music fans to mix their own beats at the Pepsi Max Lot for a chance to win tickets to a performance by rapper Snoop Dogg as well as other prizes.
Crown Imports, Chicago, hosted a text donation campaign for Corona Extra and Corona Light to help The V Foundation for Cancer Research raise money to find a cure for cancer. The “Find a Cure” text donation campaign encouraged consumers to text the phrase “DontGiveUp” to donate $5 to The V Foundation, with 100 percent of the money raised going directly to fund cancer research. In addition to donating through texting, consumers also can visit the Corona Extra and Corona Light Facebook pages to contribute to The V Foundation directly.
In conjunction with ESPN college basketball analyst Jay Bilas, Rockin’ Refuel, a product of Shamrock Farms, Phoenix, launched a nationwide search for the “Most Rockin’” team. A youth or high school sports team can win a fantasy camp training weekend with the professionals at St. Vincent Sports Performance. The contest is open to athletes who are 14 to 18 years old and who participate in any type of team sport. Contestants can enter their favorite youth sports team on Rockin’ Refuel’s website and explain why the team “rocks.” In addition, for every Facebook “Like” Rockin’ Refuel will donate $1 up to $25,000 to Coaches vs. Cancer, a nationwide collaboration between the American Cancer Society and the National Association of Basketball Coaches.
‘Walk the dog’Tied to a tradition in the United Kingdom, Newcastle Brown Ale is asking beer drinkers to “Walk the Dog,” which is a British euphemism for visiting a bar. Newcastle is offering “Walk the Dog” tasting events in select on-premise venues in various cities around the nation. While visiting their favorite establishments, curious “Dog Walkers” will be greeted by Newcastle brand ambassadors who will expound on the virtues of “Walking the Dog,” while offering samples of Newcastle Brown Ale. Program merchandise includes Newcastle dog tags and “Reasons to Walk the Dog” cards to entice conversation and encourage new “Dog Club” members to share the joy of “Dog Walking” with their friends.
Lifeway Foods Inc., Morton Grove, Ill., is celebrating 25 years of active culture with a yearlong anniversary celebration. To launch the festivities, Lifeway is hosting “The Lifeway 25th Anniversary Tour,” an 11-week nationwide party. In honor of 1986, the year Lifeway Foods was established, the tour celebrates everything fun and funky about the 1980s. The retro roadtrip began in Anaheim in March and will make weeklong stops in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Seattle, Denver, Dallas, Chicago, Cincinnati, Philadelphia and Boston. The party will culminate in New York City with Lifeway Foods Chief Executive Officer Julie Smolyansky and Chief Financial Officer Edward Smolyansky ringing the NASDAQ stock market closing bell May 16.
Artistic promotionThe Coca-Cola Co., Atlanta, partnered with the band Maroon 5 for a chance to allow fans to compose an original song in only 24 hours. Enabled by interactive projection technology, fans were given a virtual all-access pass to the recording studio where they were able to interact with the band and lend their creative inspiration to lyrics, riffs and rhythms for a new song. Throughout the 24 hours, fans were asked to send in words, pictures and comments to inspire the creation of the song and had a chance to ask questions and vote for options presented to them by the band.
