Online first-person shooter games are unrelenting. There’s no pause button, so trying to sneak in a bite to eat while you’re playing can be lethal. But last year, Heinz and Gut São Paulo devised a clever solution to this dilemma with “Hidden Spots.”
Heinz’s in-game experiential stunt mapped hiding spots to take a break and eat
With research suggesting 80% of gamers eat and drink while they play, with their favorite food being a burger, Heinz saw an opportunity to promote its ketchup. The creative idea: map good hiding spots within Call of Duty where gamers could rest for a few minutes and eat, without fear of getting ambushed.
They sent burger wrappers with the exact locations of the hidden spots to gaming influencers, then teamed up with a food delivery app in Brazil to give vouchers to people to order burgers and eat them while playing.
“‘Hidden Spots’ is a real extension and pushing of this [experiential] category in a way that everybody could learn from,” said one Creativity Awards juror. Added another: “It’s experiential within gaming. It’s looking at the gaming world like the real world. I liked the different take on experiential.”