• by Karlene Lukovitz  @KLmarketdaily, January 20, 2014

Castle Brands is employing interactive digital peel-off and scratch-off puzzle ads and other interactive ad formats to drive participation in an "Irish to the Core" photo contest for its five Irish spirits brands.

All of the formats are from cross-platform interactive ad technology solution provider blurbIQ.

One ad instructs users to "Scratch off & complete the puzzle for your chance to win a vacation to Ireland & cash."

Online desktop or tablet and mobile device users can use their cursors or fingers, respectively, to scratch off the initial ad image, revealing a puzzle consisting of 0 pieces of an image of bottles of Boru Vodka, Knappogue Castle 12 Year Old Single Malt Irish Whiskey, Clontarf 1014 Irish Whiskey, Celtic Honey Liqueur and Brady's Irish Cream.

Once they click and drag the pieces to reassemble the full image, the unit resolves to an "enter contest" image with an entry area click-through. In the peel-off version (an online/desktop-only unit), the user clicks and grabs a dog-ear to peel the initial image off and reveal the puzzle.

Both units can be shared and embedded on Facebook.

Castle is also using a Facebook Memory Game and a custom interactive video preroll produced by blurbIQ.

The interactivity of the ads should extend engagement time and make consumers more apt to remember the brands at point of purchase, says Alejandra Pena, SVP marketing of Castle Brands, a developer and global marketer of premium spirits brands.

Consumers can also enter the contest -- which calls for submissions of photos and explanations on the theme "reasons to love the Irish" (by March 7) -- directly through the contest's Irish2Core Facebook page or Web site. The contest is also being promoted on the five brands' collective Irish2Core Twitter account.

A panel of judges will select 25 finalists, followed by Facebook fan voting on those from March 17 to 31.

The grand prize is a trip for two to Ireland and $500 spending cash. Runners up will receive a "Flavors of Ireland" cookbook by Margaret M. Johnson (which includes recipes using the Castle Irish spirits brands). Voters in the second round earn chances to win prizes such as a Clontarf 1014 flask, a Knappogue Castle wristwatch, or a Boru Vokda ice bucket or wall clock.

Castle brands is one of a few small public companies in the global alcoholic beverages industry. For its fiscal year ended March 2013, its net sales were up 16.8%, to $41.4 million. Its total cases sold in the period rose 11.6%, to 372,059.

The company's portfolio also includes Gosling's Rum, Jefferson's Bourbon, Jefferson's Reserve Bourbon, Jefferson's Presidential Select, Jefferson's Straight Rye Whiskey, Castello Mio Sambuca, Pallini Limoncello, Pallini Raspicello, Pallini Peachcello, Tierras Tequila and Gozio Amaretto Liqueur.

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