• by Ken Liebeskind , June 21, 2001

What does a company do to promote a new three-scoop sundae? Haagen-Dazs Shop Company, the Pillsbury Co. subsidiary that runs ice cream stores, is conducting a multi-media campaign that's using the Web to run a consumer prize game.

Visitors to the 200 participating franchise stores receive game cards with pin numbers on them that allow them to enter the contest at a website created for the game. They play a scratch and win game, trying to match three numbers to win prizes, which range from a Jaguar convertible to free ice cream.

It's the first time Haagen-Dazs has used a game promotion to promote a new product, which in this case is the Banana Split Dazzler frozen dessert. Last year, it gave away coupons for free samples of its new gelato product to the first 25,000 consumers who signed onto the company's main website. No advertising on other sites was used, but sites like www.freestuff.com, which notify surfers about promotions, listed the deal for free, according to Kelly Wold, Haagen-Dazs Shop Company marketing manager.

The Dazzler promotion started in early June with the launch of the website and the distribution of game cards to the stores. A Sunday FSI ran in the New York Times. No other papers were used because most of the stores are in the New York area, Wold says. In store advertising is the other element of the campaign, including signage and the game cards given to every customer.

The campaign was created by CRC Marketing Solutions, Eden Prairie, MN, which handled all areas, from the Web site to the game card and store displays to the FSI. The agency has an ongoing relationship with Haagen-Dazs. It also created its Web site.

Rhiannon Johnson, an account executive at CRC, says this type of integrated campaign to promote a new product isn't unique, but it's growing in popularity. "We're moving towards it and want to do more of them," she says. "It's a good example of combining a range of elements into one campaign."