Coca-Cola, the world’s largest beverage company partnered with 7-Eleven Inc., a premier name and the largest chain in the convenience retailing industry based in Dallas, Texas to launch it’s QR code Arctic Home Campaign in time for the holidays to support the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) conservation efforts to protect the arctic habitat of the polar bear, Coca-Cola’s winter mascot.
The Arctic Home campaign which is up to December 31, 2011 consists of a Snowball Effect app created by 7-Eleven for iPhone, iPad and iPod touch users, in-store promotions and a limited offer of Sprite Snowball Blast Slurpee flavor. The app is free to download at www.ArcticHome.com/7-Eleven, the App Store or by scanning QR codes printed on Slurpee and Big Gulp polystyrene cups and in-store signage at 7-Eleven stores nationwide. Messages at the 7-Eleven.com and Slurpee.com homepages encourage visitors to download the app.
The Snowball Effect app is a virtual snowball throwing game that can be played by users or shared with Facebook friends. Challenging a Facebook friend to play the game by posting in their Wall aims to increase public awareness about the conservation campaign. Each snowball has a corresponding point, that will unlock a bigger snowball as points are accumulated that will make the game easier to play. Points can be enhanced by scanning QR codes on Coke products with peel away stickers, Slurpee and Big Gulp cups and by visiting 7-Eleven outlets.
To be able to play the game, challenge friends and check- in at 7-Eleven stores, consumers must have a Facebook account and must become members of Slurpee Rewards to enter codes from 7-Eleven and Coke products to be eligible to win Snowball Effect prizes.
As a reward for participating in the campaign, 7-Eleven will give away weekly prizes and a grand prize for Snow Ball Effect users based on the highest accumulated points. For the nine-week promotion, the retail company will give out every week an iPad to eight players with the highest cumulative points posted. At the culmination of the promo period, eight iPads will be randomly given to app users. The grand prize which will be awarded to the player who garnered the highest points will be a trip for two to the Arctic, the home of the polar bears.
Aside from giving users an opportunity to win prizes, the Snow Ball Effect app helps in raising funds for the efforts of WWF by directing them to the Arctic Home website where entering package codes from specially marked Coca-cola products will trigger a $1 personal donation. By march 15, 2012, the beverage company will then match all donations made with a package code up to $1 million.
The Arctic Home campaign of Coca-Cola in coordination with 7-Eleven to support the environmental cause of the World Wildlife Fund is a smart combination of QR code and Facebook, the most popular current digital platforms being used which paves the way for the companies to know their customer’s social media personality under the pretext of social responsibility.
