Nestle Gives Its Own Brand The Finger
In an promotion that sounded more like a Wacky Packages spoof, Nestle promoted its new Butterfinger Comedy Network by making fun of its own brand. Claiming on April Fool’s Day that it was shirking the “clumsiness of the Butterfinger brand” and renaming its brand ‘The Finger,’ the promotion was designed to promote Yahoo’s YouTube alternative. The promotion includes links to local 7-Eleven stores where consumers can actually purchase the candy bar with the fake packaging.
Practice Note: Offering a rare product is a very good way to create stickiness on a website. In this case, in order to find out which stores are carrying the specially branded product, consumers must register with the site. Better than a sweepstakes, which only rewards a few winners, Butterfinger drives consumers to its website, and if consumers want the candy bar, they have to pay for it.