Video Games & Nocturnal Chips

I was breezing through Target when piled on an end cap stood the best marketing campaign I’ve seen in years: World-of-Warcraft-branded Mountain Dew. Forget waltzing with your target market; that there is straight-up tango. If I was a sleep-deprived World of Warcraft gamer I’d flock to that faster than Usain Bolt in a two-yard dash. In addition to well-executed packaging the smartheads at Mountain Dew created an online experience where insomniac techies can earn points, post on message boards, and win branded prizes.

Then there’s the corral of marketers at Snack Strong Productions who routinely churn out new concepts. Doritos Late Night flavored chips, their latest venture, will hit shelves on July 6. I’m not sure what makes these snacky treats so nocturnal; maybe they contain green tea extract for energy or extra B-12 so you’ll remember what you did last night besides inhale an entire bag of Doritos. Pre-dawn munchers who buy limited edition bags of the product can redeem codes online for special prizes.

I would like to have some Extreme Wheat Thins.