Marketing is evolving with the world it inhabits. The pandemic is not only leaving behind lessons but is also creating opportunities in the marketing world. To increase their ROI, marketers need to adapt their approach. Quite a few brands have taken to enhance their campaigns with gamification. Games have become incredibly immersive. The level of detail possible in today’s games allows gamers to enter a universe where they are engaged with sights, sounds, and stories.
Heinz teamed up with Call of Duty: Warzone Pacific to identify hidden spots in the new Calders map in order to safely enjoy a well-deserved break and eat a delicious burger with Heinz in real life. Hidden spots are very popular with gaming insiders. Hidden spots are used to gain an advantage or seek temporary safety in a game. They are also an under-the-radar trick for gamers to sneak in a bathroom or snack break.
According to a study, gamers spend roughly 8 hours and 27 minutes each week playing games. Call of Duty is one of the world’s biggest gaming franchises, and it is nearly impossible to take a snack break while playing the game. Heinz has a solution that is encouraging gamers to take a break to eat. This appears to be a healthier approach than mindlessly eating and gaming at the same time.
In multiplayer games like Call of Duty, an ill-timed break can cause the gamer to lose the match or be penalized. Here Heinz attempts to help gamers. Instead of using a well-crafted message for publicity, Heinz and GUT Agency partnered with Activision to connect with them directly where they are – inside the game. Heinz is trying to help hungry gamers find where to stop to eat while they play instead of having to hide in their games. It is helping gamers identify hidden spots in its latest map of Caldera.
Heinz will enable gamers to eat in peace as they fight in the warzone. With this campaign, Heinz hopes to get closer to the vast gaming community by helping them and offering a solution to a real issue that many in the community face on a daily basis. ‘Hidden Spots’ is part of the brand’s master brand campaign. It also highlights Heinz flavored bottles of ketchup, mayonnaise, and barbecue sauce.
More mobile gamers than ever are ordering takeout food. More than one-third of mobile gamers eat fast food at least once a week. Those who consume fast food at least weekly frequently participate in forms of brand interaction, including engaging with a product’s ad and following a brand on social media platforms combined with mobile gamers overall. By creating the right experience for the right platform, this campaign gave Heinz an opportunity for creative experimentation.
Ronn Torossian is CEO of 5WPR, a leading pr firm.