Site visitors must first solve four complicated puzzles to get clues toward the location of the bounty. I must have spent 30 minutes on just the first puzzle, ensuring people visiting the site will be spending engaged viewing time while playing the game (if you know anything about latitude and longitude coordinates, you may fair better than I did). After solving the first four puzzles, there is a catch: players must visit a local Volvo dealership to get a map that provides additional clues to locate the treasure.
Volvo and "Pirates of the Caribbean" do an excellent job of integrating an online campaign with an offline adventure with real-world prizes. Participants get to feel like real pirates and get into the spirit of the movie. The streaming video clips that accompany the online game and graphics of the puzzles only add to the rich look and feel of the promotion. To add to the campaign, you have to remember it's a real competition, and thousands of other users will be competing with you to find the prize. So, with Volvo's encouragement, join Jack Sparrow and hit the high seas! Seek out your treasure before your pirate comrades beat you to it, and remember the XC90 marks the spot!
-- Krisserin Canary, associate editor, iMedia Communications
The genius of the game is that it allows anyone to fulfill their fantasy of competing on "Survivor" or "The Amazing Race" without the pesky qualification process. The game is engrossing and addicting, the puzzles are challenging and judging from the number of cheat/fan sites that have popped up the campaign is attracting at least as many obsessed players as last time around. Volvo once again seems to have a hit on their hands.
The question is will this translate to increased Volvo sales? While this promotion will undoubtedly increase foot traffic to Volvo showrooms, I wonder if this is the most qualified traffic in terms of being able to convert these chart seekers into Volvo buyers. I also don't see an obvious connection between pirate films set in 17th century and a luxury SUV. The Hunt is great promotion that cleverly extends the themes of "Pirates of the Caribbean" and resonates with an extremely engaged group of players, but I wonder if maybe Magellan GPS or Rand McNally would be a more natural sponsorship fit.
-- Patrick V. Barrett, senior interaction designer, Bazaarvoice
Harkening back to their roots as the producer of the safest maritime vessels to have ever plundered and looted the seven seas, this promotional campaign is a natural fit for Volvo. From the second the pages loads, Volvo proves that the most exciting and emotive tool one can use is video. The short preview quickly sums up the purpose of the promotional campaign and sets the stage for the user to begin a quest to win the XC90. Admittedly, after 20 minutes of attempting the first numeric puzzle, I hadn't gotten very far (the answer is not "Number 9, number 9, number 9…"). The instructions were a little vague, and the voice of the pirate tutor that delivered them turned the blood to ice in my veins. As a testament to the success of the campaign though, a quick internet search for some answers revealed a huge network of forums where users have been sharing hints with each other since the start of the campaign. For Volvo enthusiasts, this promotion created an online community.
Given that this campaign extended beyond Volvo's homepage and got thousands of people to not only spend time with the brand but also to talk with others interested in their car, I'd say it was a huge success. Also, reading through some of the forum postings it was obvious that while the online component of The Hunt only offers questions 1-4, most users were looking for help with the other 18 questions and riddles (which can only be cquired from a Volvo dealership.) This campaign got people into the showrooms!
We'll done Volvo, yea scurvy dog of an auto-maker.
-- Bradley Werner, director of marketing, The Fifth Network