• by OMMA Magazine Writers , September 3, 2010

Family-owned CytoSport used Shaquille O'Neal's start with the Cleveland Cavaliers to boost regional sales and national awareness for its Muscle Milk protein-enhanced beverage brand. In partnership with the sports star, a limited-edition bottle, available only in Ohio, bore a marker that purchasers could use to go online and experience augmented-reality animations featuring O'Neal talking about iconic Cleveland experiences, plus a sweeps entry code (prizes included an oil painting featuring the winner posed with O'Neal). Backed by in-store POP, out-of-home and radio in Ohio markets and an open-access online tie-in, the promotion nearly doubled sales in the Cleveland/Ohio region in four months.