Mekanism Shows Their Spicy Side For Slim Jim
Mekanism recently teamed up with Venables Bell & Partners and
15 letters to create a fully interactive, multimedia gaming,
and social networking website for Conagra Foods. Slim Jim
snacks, encouraging users to get in touch with their Spicy
Side. The site combines the engaging functionality of a video
game with the interaction of an online community, allowing
user-based personalized avatars to play, rumble, chat, and
become buddies within this imaginative world of spiciness.
Unique mini-profiles, a Spicy Side gallery character directory,
a video room featuring the campaign's commercial spots, a store
full of fiery merchandise, and a flash-based showcase of the
many varieties of Slim Jim snacks complete the integrated media
experience.
Aggression, craziness, and a penchant for mischief and
adventure are squeezed into Spicy Sides, the horned creatures
that embody the madness in everyone.madness that is unleashed
by consuming a Slim Jim product. While exploring Spicy Town,
the 3D playground of neighborhoods, mountainous paths, and city
sidewalks, users can talk using the chat feature, make buddy
lists to organize virtual friendships, block unwelcome
antagonists, or challenge players to a Rumble. In this
real-time, multi-player, anything-goes brawl, competitors
punch, kick, throw fish, and bludgeon with barbeques, in an
outrageous fight until one of the combatants. Slim Jim life
meter runs out. Mekanism EP/President Jason Harris noted,
"Venables approached us with a great basic concept. Partnering
with 15 letters we developed, designed, and created a
groundbreaking piece to engage and entertain users with the
Slim Jim brand for hours at a time. This game is addictive
fun--I dare you not to have fun on this site."
The Spicy Side campaign also includes live action spots, which
are featured on the site and provided some of the concept
inspiration for the website. The spots detail the dangers of
feeding peppered beef jerky snacks to our small alter egos.
After getting their tiny hands on a Slim Jim, these peculiar
characters destroy everything and torment everyone in sight.
CD/Director Ian Kovalik explains, "We wanted to build something
online that tied the whole campaign together. We loved the idea
of everyone having a Spicy Side and thought it would be pretty
cool to let users create their own character--to see what they
look like with horns on their face. Naturally, we decided to
build a world where you could actually meet other people's
Spicy Sides, interact with them through chat and buddy lists,
and then beat the living tar out of them. It really is a fun
and immersive experience."
The site's 'About' section, a witty Q&A session, further
explains the Spicy phenomenon, maintaining that a victimized
cat "was asking for it", that even Abraham Lincoln had a Spicy
Side, and that the concept is certainly not "just an elaborate
ruse to sell more Slim Jims." The site was designed to create a
memorable user experience, to engage, entertain, and
dramatically increase product awareness. The site was a huge
technological feat, combining unique and fun game play with
significant brand participation, as players get points and
power from finding the spiciness of Slim Jim products. The
campaign uses interactivity and significant stickiness to
create lasting brand impressions in a truly unique setting.
Interactive
Credits
|
|
