Australia – Popular soft drink brand Mountain Dew has launched a game show activation called ‘Major Melon’s Mayhem Mountain’, which is inspired by the hyper-stimulatory sensation that is a taste of its new Watermelon-flavoured drink.
Conceptualised alongside VaynerMedia, the game takes cues from the likes of ‘Wipeout’ and ‘Takeshi’s Castle’, the brand game show showcases challenges such as the ‘Watermelon Ski’, where contestants, including ‘Dom Littrich’ of ‘Inspired Unemployed’ fame, attempt to slide as far as they can down the very slippery, watermelon-scattered, pink-tarped runway.
Another inspired game is ‘Hill Dash’, where they race across a steep slippery hill while being pelted by inflatable watermelons. Narrated by the eponymous host, each content piece features challenges broadcast as takes from the show, featuring influencers taking on various extreme challenges.
Built on the insight that Mountain Dew’s Gen Z audience is continuously searching for newer, faster, hyper-stimulatory highs and challenges both in-feed and IRL, VaynerMedia eschewed the traditional product launch campaign to develop Mayhem Mountain as a content-first play created with social audiences in mind.
Vandita Pandey, chief marketing officer for ANZ at PepsiCo, said, “We know Dew fans have been waiting a long time for a new flavour, so we wanted to make a real splash in letting them know Major Melon is finally here. ‘Mayhem Mountain’ is just such a fun and relevant way to bring the new flavour to life, I am confident the legions of Aussie Dew fans out there will love it as much as we do.”
Meanwhile, Yash Murthy, head of creative and consulting at VaynerMedia Australia, commented, “A drink and brand persona as out there as Major Melon warranted a campaign that ratcheted up the intensity. Mayhem Mountain was the perfect vehicle to showcase this, allowing us to build equity in the Major Melon character whilst tapping into the extreme stunts, challenges and fail comps we know our audience cohorts love. Plus it was just a lot of fun to make.”
