The Offer: To promote the November 16 release of Jay-Z’s autobiography, Decoded, Spiegel & Grau, a division of Random House, partnered with Bing and Droga5 for an interactive consumer campaign. Beginning October 18, consumers can visit the campaign’s site, hosted by Bing, to participate in a global scavenger hunt to find individual coded pages of the book scattered throughout the world. Upon finding each one, players are entered to win individual pages of the book signed by Jay-Z himself, as well as the grand prize of two tickets to see the artist in Las Vegas on New Year’s Eve.
The Data: Site visitors who answer two questions correctly are brought to a location on Bing Maps where they can look for the coded page. The location corresponds to content on that page of the book, and, once found, players can enter the code online or in-person through SMS to be entered for prizes.
The Channel: The campaign incorporates outdoor advertising and a microsite, while consumers interact via mobile and social media. To enter the sweepstakes, players provide basic contact information and winners will be contacted by phone after the book’s release.
The Creative: Three-hundred coded pages are scattered all over the world, with many in Brooklyn or greater New York, where most of the book is set. Creative ranges from a Times Square billboard and wall murals to images small enough to fit on the cuff of a suit in a store window.
The Verdict: This clever campaign involves fans in a global scavenger hunt, playing physically in Brooklyn and greater New York, or via SMS or online hosted by Bing. This takes place-based media to a new level.
