Werther's Original builds life-sized Candy Land with Hasbro

Dive Brief:

To celebrate National Caramel Day on April 5, Werther's Original partnered with Hasbro to create a life-sized, caramel-focused version of the classic Candy Land board game on the Santa Monica pier, per a news release.
TV host Mario Lopez and his wife Courtney Mazza and two children joined the event's festivities. The game took participants through various "caramelized" locations, including Caramel Popcorn Mountains, the Werther's Woods and a Caramel Crème Lagoon, with Werther's treats offered at the endpoint, the Caramel Castle.
Those who missed the Santa Monica activation can play the game digitally at CaramelDay.com for the next month. The site also features fun facts about Werther's and a 360-degree video exploring the pop-up event. Followers can join the conversation on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter using the hashtag #WerthersXCandyLand for giveaways and other information.

Already looking forward to #NationalCaramelDay 2019! Thanks to everyone for the sweet memories! #WerthersxCandyland pic.twitter.com/aUFLpzQ48o
— Werther's Original (@werthers_orig) April 6, 2018

Dive Insight:

Werther's is using nostalgia to take consumers back to a childhood staple with the life-size Candy Land and accompanying digital experience. The brand is also tapping into a resurgence in interest for board games, which saw a 28% increase in sales from 2016 to 2017, largely driven by younger consumers, according to NPD Group data reported by Adweek.

Out-of-home activations like Werther's are increasingly popular with marketers trying to reach millennials and members of Gen Z, who are viewed as valuing experiences over products. In January, for example, Ben & Jerry's hosted a pop-up street carnival in Los Angeles to promote the launch of new flavors. The event featured ice cream-inspired games, a photo booth and an oversized swing ride. These types of brand experiences can entice social media users to snap a photo and post selfies online, extending campaign reach.

Werther's is smart to support the effort with an online version of the Candy Land game for those who couldn't make it to the pier and also 360-degree video. Video ads in the 360-degree format drive a 7% higher purchasing intent on smartphones and a 12% increase in the belief that a brand has a "unique story to tell" when compared to traditional video ads, according to a recent study Magna and IPG Media Lab conducted with YuMe by RhythmOne.