Dive Brief:

• Trolli is dropping into the PAX West gaming convention running from Sept. 1-4 with a scavenger hunt experience promoting a partnership with PUBG: Battlegrounds, per a news release. 
• The gummy candy marketer will set attendees of the show, the largest of its kind in the U.S., on a mission to explore host city Seattle, Washington, and find life-sized, brand-themed versions of the crates that appear in PUBG. Made with street artist Kai, the four crates carry QR codes that unlock in-game rewards when scanned.
• Trolli has teamed with YouTube creator Hew Moran to drive excitement around PAX West and raise awareness for Trolli x PUBG packs that will be available at retailers nationwide through December. The tie-up speaks to the growing importance of strategies tailored toward gamers, a typically young, tech-savvy cohort.  

Dive Insight:

Trolli is attempting to establish a stronger connection between its brand and gamers through the collaboration with PUBG: Battlegrounds and an appearance at PAX West, an influential video and tabletop gaming convention. Snack and beverage marketers have ramped up their focus on gamers, an enthusiast group with a large Gen Z contingent that has grown more diverse and seen its purchasing power increase in recent years. 

“More than 50% of Trolli consumers identify as avid gamers, so we know that our Trolli brand is closely connected to the culture,” said Hope Hruska, brand manager for Trolli, in a statement. 

In the same vein as Fortnite, PUBG is a battle royale title that drops troves of players into a massive world where they battle against each other as the boundaries of the map shrink over time. Players on the hunt for resources can discover crates carrying key items that parachute into the game, an experience Trolli is recreating IRL with the PAX West scavenger hunt.

Visitors to PAX West can pick up physical maps in the lobby, along with getting the chance to meet YouTuber Hew Moran, who will create content for Trolli from the show floor. The real-life crates were designed with Kai, a street artist best known for his Imaginary Friend (IF) character that has appeared on pins and nonfungible tokens.  

Like many battle royale offerings, PUBG is free to play and relies on in-game purchases in the form of cosmetics to drive monetization. Trolli has assembled four outfits, or “skins,” that feature its Brite gummy worms as part of the gaming push. The virtual digs can be acquired by purchasing the special Trolli x PUBG packs and effectively serve as an invitation to join the Ferrara candy brand’s in-game community, the Trolli Sour Brite Squad. The free skins also factor into the scavenger hunt.

Trolli has frequently jumped on gaming occasions to endear itself to consumers who like to snack while they play. In 2021, the brand sold packs that celebrated the 20th anniversary of Microsoft’s Xbox game console. The year prior, the Ferrara label debuted its own retro-inspired game, titled “Deliciously Dark Escape,” that put players in the shoes of sprite-like versions of its gummies as they dodged various hazards.