Bacardi: Puzzling engagement

The brand has used an online puzzle to intrigue its audience.

Bacardi India, the Indian arm of spirit manufacturing company Bacardi Limited, has come up with an innovative campaign on the digital platform to reach out to its audiences. The campaign is designed by Hungama Digital.

Launched recently, it involves a video puzzle on Facebook (
http://on.fb.me/ZIkYF0
), where the visitors have to arrange the blocks before they can see the Bacardi advertisement. Visitors, however, have the option to either play the game to watch the video or directly navigate to the video, skipping the game.

According to the Hungama Digital team, the page has accumulated more than 40,000 views and 55 per cent of the visitors took up the challenge to play the complete game to reach the ad.

Carlton D'Silva, chief creative officer, Hungama Digital Media Entertainment, says, "We have created the video puzzle for Bacardi India and this is for the first time that a brand has used the concept of a puzzle to advertise."

Manish Seth, director, marketing and sales, Bacardi India, says, "We are a youth brand and have used the digital medium innovatively to engage with our consumer. This new introduction is in sync with our latest global campaign, ISWAP "It Started With A Party", which aims to establish that Bacardi parties are catalysts that drive meaningful human connections, leading to multiple possibilities."

Bacardi India plans to come up with at least 11 apps this year. These apps will be topical and will be around Bacardi's launches and different events during the next 11 months.

D'Silva says, "Bacardi India did not want to do passive engagement with its audiences. It wanted to go beyond just watching the ad. It wanted people to connect with the brand."

Bacardi, a 150-year old company, is the third largest spirit making brand in the world. The Indian arm was launched in 1998.