A new game launched by travel guide publisher Rough Guides to
increase brand awareness and raise money for their chosen charity
has been played more than a million times in its first week.
The project, called Rough Roads, was designed by viral game
specialists Koko Digital to promote Rough Guides' September release
Make the Most of Your Time on Earth, and raise money for Global
Giving.
Rough Guides has also pledged 10p to the charity for everyone
who plays the game and submits their score.
Rough Guides Web Editor and Marketing Executive Holly Dudley
said: "Having seen the success of previous work from Koko, we
decided that an advergame would be an exciting approach.
"Koko understood our brand objectives and values, and helped us
transmit our message to our core audience, and a wider one, in a
fun and engaging way.
"Their expertise and knowledge, paired with their invaluable
seeding contacts, have helped us to produce an extremely successful
game. It's been played three quarters of a million times in under a
week, and we're confident that it will increase brand and product
awareness."
Rough Roads is based on the journey of the red and yellow bus
that appears on the jacket of the second edition of Make the Most
of Your Time on Earth.
Players have to navigate traffic and obstacles in six different
world destinations, keeping their roof-luggage intact. If all the
luggage falls, it's game over!
It is the latest in a series of Koko's projects for companies in
the travel sector - they have completed games for Gulf Air, Net
Flights, Seasons Holidays and Shakespeare Country in the past 12
months.
Koko Digital Director Chris Steele said: "The travel sector is
an ideal one for viral marketing, as companies often need to divert
traffic to websites, and in an unusual way which sets them apart
from their competitors.
"Travel and going on holiday are engaging, exciting topics and
provides plenty of potential for games designers and viral
marketers."
Players can choose which project they want to support from one
of three of Global Giving's grassroots projects in the developing
world.
Recently they have supported projects to improve secondary
education provision in Guatemala, treat TB sufferers in Malawi, and
deal with the cholera crisis in Haiti.
Koko Digital was established by directors Chris Steele, Karl
Bloor and Stuart Howarth in 2006 to create viral advergames and
social media applications. They have worked with a number of
blue-chip clients including Red Bull, Cancer Research UK and
Epson.