Brief:
- Trident Gum is collaborating with hip-hop star T-Pain on an Instagram sweepstakes offering a free trip to the Grammy Awards or $10,500 in cash, according to a press release. The Mondelēz-owned brand's #ChewTunes campaign challenges Instagram users to mix their own beats using an augmented reality (AR) filter and post it on the photo-sharing app.
- Instagram users need to scan a QR code inside specially marked Trident Gum Chew Tunes packs to open the AR experience in Instagram Stories and create a beat. To be eligible to win the grand prize, they need to post their video to Instagram or Twitter while using the hashtags #ChewTunes, #Sweepstakes and #TridentGum.
- Trident's ChewTunes.com microsite offers a way to enter the contest, and win other prizes such as Bluetooth stereo turntables, streaming music gift cards and wireless headphones. The Trident Gum #ChewTunes Sweepstakes will run through Nov. 1, followed by a grand prize drawing the next day.
Insight:
Trident's sweepstakes aims to boost sales by urging people to buy limited-edition packs of gum that unlock an interactive AR experience and comes as sales have been slumping for gum and other impulse items as people order groceries online and for curbside pick up. By offering a chance to win a trip to the Grammys or a cash prize, the marketer provides a greater incentive for people to use its filter to make a video and share it on Instagram or Twitter.
Creating a virtual DJ table and encouraging followers to generate their own music mixes is a concept other brands have pursued, often with the help of popular musicians. Chipotle Mexican Grill and Wu-Tang member the RZA several years ago designed a SAVOR.WAVS virtual soundboard that linked each of the chain's 51 ingredients to a different music sample. Customers could mix and match the samples to create a unique piece of media.
Other Mondelēz brands have riffed on similar ideas. Oreo last year released a miniature DJ Mixer featuring three turntables that let fans make music with Oreo cookies instead of vinyl records.
Such novelty products — offered virtually in Trident's case, through the filter and microsite — allow consumers to explore their creative sides, which could, in turn, make them more likely to post their creations online, extending the reach of social media campaigns. With many people stuck at home during coronavirus pandemic, Trident is more likely to reach consumers who are using social media apps like Instagram to stay connected with the outside world.
About 164 million U.S. consumers used chewing gum last year, per data cited by Statista, making the product highly popular among a broad range of Americans. The demographic breakdown of gum consumers is less clear, and Trident's #ChewTunes campaign is most likely to reach younger, tech-savvy consumers who are heavy users of social media. Instagram usage is forecast to rise 14% this year to an average of 30 minutes a day, faster than the growth of other social media apps, according to researcher eMarketer.
Trident's Grammys-focused giveaway follows several recent sweepstakes centered on social media. Ferrara Group's Sweetarts label last week began offering Instagram users a chance to win a special candy-holding satchel inspired by the movie "Wonder Woman 1984" as part of the promotion for the limited-edition Sweetarts Golden Ropes candy. Frozen dessert Bomb Pop last month started a hashtag challenge on TikTok as part of a social media push to reach younger consumers.