Firefox compatible.

Client: Reebok
Creative Agency: Zugara, Inc.

The microsite was developed as part of an integrated marketing campaign to launch 50 Cent's newest cross training shoe, the G xt II. The goal of the G xt II campaign was to showcase the cross trainer in a fusion of music and sports. Given the target demographic of 12- to 24-year-old urban trendsetters, Zugara's main objectives for the campaign were to:

• Introduce and build excitement around 50 Cent's G xt II
• Create a unique experience that engaged the user and integrated with the offline media. At the same time though, the interactive campaign needed to be able to stand alone. 

To accomplish these objectives, Zugara's strategy was to create a site that was a stylized, photorealistic street environment that contained exclusive "behind the scenes" interviews and photos, dynamic page transitions and a stickball advergame: "G Unit Stickball Slam." The game, which integrated with the TV commercial's stickball element, was intended to engage the users with the brand and increase the amount of time they spent interacting with the site. Additional elements of the site meant to enhance the user's experience included enabling them to easily download exclusive content to their PlayStation Portable, as well as ringtones and wallpapers to their cell phone (at no charge).      

The campaign's results illustrate its success:

• 57 percent of the site's visitors played the advergame.
• Each unique visitor played the game for an average of five minutes and 42 seconds.
• 42 percent of the site's visitors viewed at least one of the exclusive interviews with Winky Wright and Lloyd Banks.

-- Jack Benoff, account manager, Zugara, Inc.

The concept of the overall campaign was to build awareness of the new G xt II cross trainers and immerse consumers into the RBK brand in a way not achievable through print or television. By developing online media that challenged consumers to play "G Unit Stickball Slam" against 50 Cent, we drove thousands of consumers to the site. Once on the site, the consumers were free to play the game, explore the product, see interviews with athletes and artists, or download some exclusive images and ringtones. Results of the online campaign were very successful, with an average clickthrough rate for the entire campaign of over 1.7 percent and game plays exceeding 270,000 in a month.
-- Meg Grier, manager, interactive marketing, Reebok International

Reebok's microsite for the G xt II succeeds as a seamless extension of the television spot -- both thematically and interactively. While the site's music, design and navigation take you into the same hood where the television spot was filmed, features like a stickball video game, interviews with celebrity endorsers and the television spot itself allow users that want more to get more. The site is also successful in selling style -- the product's hook. While the shopping cart (accessible from the minisite) brings up the G xt II's "DMX micro heel technology," users drawn to this site probably don't care. They want to look cool and the site's gritty design, celebrity presence and urban beat provide a glow that makes the G xt II shine.
-- Mario Sgambelluri, managing editor, iMedia Communications, Inc.

 

This is a tough, tough category -- youth marketing for fashion and footwear, a land where content and immersive entertainment rule.

 

The tribal symbols are all set here -- a little bit of hip-hop, the G-Unit name, the urban setting, the graffiti -- a bunch of content a game, some nice animation effects. The formula is there for going up against the Nike's of the world. I am just not sure that this microsite has a really strong idea to really kill it.

 

Having not seen the TV spot, I did not get why this tennis ball is flying at me, G-Unit and tennis? Once I saw the spot, I got it -- just Street Sports, just like the title on the site.

 

The cityscape invites interaction, non-linear ways to find and explore. I found myself clicking around -- on shoes, doors, signs, on nothing. To me, that seems like a miss; immerse me in the idea, don't just put a skin on it.

 

G-Unit also seems a bit far back in the site, which could be contractual, but the behind-the-scenes was thin at best.

The game is good; I loved it, but why a pop-up? It would have been nicer to embed it in the site. But I also wanted more

games that mapped to the spot.

 

There are some nice little easy touches -- like download to PSP, which I love (I have not watched it on my PSP yet, though). The downloads overall are OK; I texted for my ringtone on my Cingular phone -- but I never got a response ...

It's a tough category that to me sets my expectations pretty high. It's just OK.

-- Glen Sheehan, creative director, SVP, Wunderman