Dive Brief:
- Apothic wine has enlisted actress Sarah Michelle Gellar for a virtual choose-your-own-adventure experience that guides users through a mysterious story while matching them to a wine, the company said in a press release emailed to Marketing Dive.
- To experience An Evening of Intrigue: Choose Your Apothic Journey, consumers enter the site and make decisions that will guide them to a Apothic wine recommendation. If they answer more daringly, they'll receive bolder wine recommendations, the company said.
- Gellar, known for roles in the horror film "The Grudge" and the more lighthearted supernatural show "Buffy the Vampire Slayer," was brought on to narrate the virtual journey because the company felt she embodies the brand's essence due to her previous spooky roles, Molly Davis, vice president of marketing at Apothic, said in a statement.
Dive Insight:
Gellar, who professes to be a fan of Apothic wine, said in a statement that she's celebrating Halloween from home this year and wanted to connect with viewers from afar. The actress is likely not alone in planning at-home festivities this year as coronavirus rates are surging once again. Apothic joins a number of brands looking to digital marketing under these circumstances as a way to engage consumers and hopefully drive sales. Choose-your-own-adventure digital content drew a lot of attention a few years ago with programs like Netflix's "Bandersnatch," and continues to grab the imagination of marketers and consumers for its ability to create memorable experiences unique to each user.
A September survey from Accenture found that 61% of consumers are more willing to buy from brands that use immersive technology, underscoring why marketers are flocking to interactive virtual experiences, some of which are tailored for Halloween. Mars Wrigley, for example, unveiled its own virtual experience called Halloween Town earlier this month.
Gellar remains a popular pick for marketing campaigns targeting women. Olay tapped the actress for a horror movie-esque Super Bowl ad in January 2019, and earlier this year, she appeared in P&G's Cascade ad encouraging people to use the dishwasher over hand-washing to save water.
