PepsiCo’s Mountain Dew is once again tapping the collective intelligence of its most passionate consumers to help write a new chapter in the beverage’s history and elevate the brand to new heights. Beginning 4/20, Mountain Dew will launch nationwide three new DEW flavor innovations — Mountain Dew Distortion, Mountain Dew White Out and Mountain Dew Typhoon — that were developed in partnership with consumers during the brand’s DEWmocracy 2 campaign:
DEWmocracy 2, a seven-stage, 12-month, consumer-driven campaign launched last July, enabled more than 4,000 of the DEW brand’s most loyal fans, referred to as DEW Labs members, to co-create three new DEW beverages. Leveraging a variety of social media networks and tools, including Facebook, Twitter and YouTube, the brand and consumers collaborated on all areas of product development including flavor, color, name, and package design.
DEW fans remain engaged as the three new DEW products begin hitting store shelves nationwide this month. In addition to having a role in creating the TV ads and online media planning and buying process, fans will lead the charge in grassroots initiatives that will drive awareness and trial of the new DEW products.
The three contending Mountain Dew beverages will be on shelves for eight weeks through June 14, providing fans with the opportunity to taste each of the flavors and cast a vote for their favorite at www.dewmocracy.com. The winning flavor will become a member of the DEW family on Labor Day 2010.
During the voting phase, “Flavor Nations,” comprised of DEW Labs members who are divided into three Nations supporting each of the new flavor innovation, will be campaigning for their favorite flavor to win the permanent spot. Starting 5/1, members of each Flavor Nation, working with MTV Networks, will begin cross-country road tours, organizing skateboarding competitions, art exhibits inspired by DEW and samplings at concerts and sporting events, among other activities. Their goal: to rally friends, family and all DEW lovers to show their support by participating and posting photos and video content online, going online to vote for their favorite flavor, and engaging others to sample and vote.
In the Fall of 2009, Mountain Dew invited ad agencies and individuals from across the country to submit 12-second video ads. Consumers voted on the spots they felt best captured the essence of the DEW brand, and the DEW Labs communities then selected their three winners: Crashtest Productions (Typhoon), Dewdadew (White Out) and Animaticmedia (Distortion).
Since January, the ad finalists have collaborated with the brand and individual Flavor Nations to develop the three 15-second television ad spots that will launch to support the three flavors on 4/26.
All three Mountain Dew flavors are available from April 19 through June 14, 2010, at mass, drug and retail outlets nationwide.
RBR-TVBR observation: Seems “Dew” good to be true…but if a brand can get its consumers to get that involved with every phase of the marketing plan, more power to them, we say! Not only does this save creative expense, but it may actually result in higher sales if the process works and really picks the tastiest new beverage in their line.
