Tag Archives: Mobile Games

Super Bowl Snack of the Century

Pongr Contests | by
    Super Bowl stadium made out of deli meat

    A Super Bowl Stadium That You Can Sink Your Teeth Into!

    So we hope you all had fantastic Super Bowl parties—what a nailbiter! Our hearty congratulations to New York Giants fans and our sincere condolences to New England Patriots fans.

    And for all you fans of those other NFL teams, just remember that training camp for the 2012 season really isn’t that far away.

    In all the excitement surrounding our “Ultimate Match-Up” Super Bowl promotion with Pepsi and Frito-Lay, and last night’s Super Bowl Photo Contest, we’d be remiss if we didn’t credit the anonymous deli meat architect who created this replica of Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis!

    Thanks to Pongr player Keith C., who alerted us to this snack sculpture masterpiece. Keith shared this picture from a viral email that’s been going around—but this idea of Bologna Architecture remains no less impressive.

    Any enterprising supermarkets, grocery stores or sandwich shops want to capitalize on this idea year-round with other landmarks? Do you know of any food markets that are already being this creative?

    #PongrBlackFriday Contest!

    Social Media | by

      With Thanksgiving fast-approaching you know we had to do something fun for the holiday. On Black Friday (Nov. 25th), we will be giving away prizes to those who bring Pongr along for their shopping spree.

      To enter simply send in your Pongr pictures as usual, and then share the photo on Twitter with the hashtag #PongrBlackFriday in the tweet. Our Pongr elves will be scouring Twitter and automatically entering those that qualify into the drawing. We have multiple prizes, Starbucks gift cards, iTunes gift cards, Xbox Live points and more! We will notify you on Twitter if you are a winner!

      The way we see it, you are already shopping, why not get rewarded for it?

      Pumpkin Power: Channeling the spirit of brand logos

      Brand Loyalty | by

        Marty McFly's Nike sneakers from "Back to the Future."

        I thought it was wild when Nike based their limited edition MAG shoes on the power-lacing, self-illuminated sneaks that Michael J. Fox wore on his hoverboard in Back to the Future Part II.  Nike just auctioned off 1500 pairs of the space-age Nike MAG to benefit Parkinson’s Disease research.

        Almost as cool was seeing a grassroots fan-created advertisement for the movie shoes etched into a pumpkin!

        Nike Logo -- Retro Pumpkin Advertising

        The Keene Pumpkin Festival in New Hampshire is notorious for attracting Halloween creativity, spirit and humor in the thousands of volunteer-carved designs. The amazing thing about some of the company logos that spontaneously appeared at the festival is that they weren’t paid advertisements.

        Check out some of the brands that made dramatic cameos amongst the rows of traditional Jack O’ Lanterns….

        U.S. Marines logo - Semper Fi

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        Sanrio's Hello Kitty logo

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        VW Beetle Logo

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        LEGO Minifigure Logo

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        Angry Birds logo

        Pongr, the mobile photo-sharing game that connects brands with their most devoted fans, is all about celebrating genuine enthusiasm for a company or product. This is a passion that can’t be bought and can’t be faked.

        The Hello Kitty pumpkin was undoubtedly carved by someone whose home is overflowing in Sanrio toys, school supplies and jewelry.

        I wonder if there are any Hello Kitty fans serving in the Marines?

        Whatever your passion is this Halloween, please keep Pongr’ing it!

        Halloween Cereal and Brand Pumpkin Mascots!

        Advertising, Brand Loyalty, Shopper Marketing | by

          Being a kid is a distant memory, but we still look forward to the creative advertising twists that surprise us in the supermarket breakfast cereal aisle!  The Honey Nut Cheerios Bee’s transformation into a Halloween Bee is particularly amusing.

          HONEY NUT HALLOWEEN -- The Cheerios Bee is dripping with breakfast excitement!

          Buzz the Honeybee stays cute no matter what the context, so how do you make him look Halloweeny?  Surround him with bats.  Ironically, both bats and bees are going through some serious environmental survival challenges these days, but let’s not get too depressed at trick-or-treat time.

          PLENTY TO GRIN ABOUT - Chip the Wolf, who sings the praises of General Mills Cookie Crisp, has one of the nicest set of teeth in the mascot world.

          Cookie Crisp used to have a cookie burglar mascot, but Chip the Wolf is a much more likeable character, especially if you respect law enforcement like Pongr does.

          GOOD LUCK CHARM: Some Jack O'Lanterns aren't meant to be scary!

          Channeling the same challenge as the Honey Nut Cheerios Bee, there is no way to make the Lucky Charms mascot look mean and sinister without giving kids the creeps. So add a candlelight glow for some ghost stories and you’ve got the perfect touch.

          Speaking of candlelight, General Mills putting pumpkin-carving patterns on its product packaging is a wonderful development. With those snazzy carving kits with kid-friendly mini-saws widely available, there’s no excuse not to bring Jack O’Lantern faces beyond basic geometric shapes.

          We also love the new General Mills Superhero campaign and comic book premiums ensuring that the little Batmans in your life will continue the fun well beyond Halloween…

          LUCKY COSTUME: Who knew that Leprechauns were in Gotham City?

          So tell us about your favorite Halloween cereal experiences.  Are you dressing up as a cereal mascot?  Have you tried any of these cereal box Jack O’ Lantern carving patterns?  Are you using any cereal box packaging as part of your costume (oh, the versatility of recycled cardboard).

          Please Pongr your Halloween pics to your favorite brands (brand@pongr.com) AND show off your stuff on the Pongr Facebook page!

          (Pongr is an image recognition and mobile marketing company that uses photo-sharing games to make consumer packaged goods – CPGs – interactive with direct response advertising campaigns).

          Pongr the World Series: Balancing Brands at the Ballpark

          Mobile Marketing | by

            Any takers for Coors Light? (Click the pic to see Pongr fan photos!)

            OK, I will admit that I am still having some emotional issues dealing with the fact that postseason baseball didn’t see the gorgeous Green Monster at Fenway Park this year.

            Even though my beloved Red Sox collapsed in historic fashion, my consolation prize is how much fun I had playing Pongr in the stands. Food vendors have always impressed me with their spirit, physical endurance, and their seal-like balance.

            Baseball goes with both foreign and domestic beer! (Click the pic to connect with Pongr Heineken fans).

            If you’re fortunate enough to have World Series tickets in Texas or St. Louis, tip the beer and soda vendors a little extra for me — and Pongr their balancing acts to us by emailing or picture-texting to (brand)@pongr.com.

            You may have noticed that Pongr’s mobile picture-sharing game has undergone some exciting changes — transforming from a career ladder-based game to one more widely rewarding raw fan enthusiasm for brands.

            I can tell you, for example, that I was salivating for one of these slices of Papa Gino’s Pizza.

            Never too late for a slice! (Click the pic to connect with Pongr Papa Gino's fans).

            But I was even further mesmerized by this pizza guy’s mystical ability to balance his wares on his head without any other support:

            Sign that pizza guy up for the circus!

            No matter where you are for the World Series this weekend — at the ballpark or in your living room — try playing Pongr in between pitches.  By the way, Pongr’s image-recognition technology works for TV commercials, too, so there are no limits to expressing your fandom!

            Pongr's #Pantry Challenge!

            Brand Ambassadors, Pongr Contests, Social Media | by

              Are you ready for the next Pongr challenge?

              The player with the most Pongr Bucks earned in this challenge for the month of October gets a $100 gift card!

              It’ll be a pre-paid American Express – and you can spend it on anything you want. Pongr Benefits Transfer FTW!

              Bonus: If you invite a friend, and THEY win the $100 gift card, you win one too!

              All you have to do is send in Pongr pics of the food, beverages, personal care and related brands you already know and love!

              Send pics of every brand in your pantry and fridge, one by one, to the brand names of your food @pongr.com. For example, kraft@pongr.com, barilla@pongr.com, kelloggs@pongr.com, snickers@pongr.com, cheetos@pongr.com, etc…  Take your time and Pongr your products every day to maximize your Pongr Bucks!

              In the subject line, put any description you want – something funny is always good – but you must include #pantry to be counted in the challenge!

              The Pongr Pantry Challenge - Earn Your Pongr Benefits Like a Boss!

              Remember – you get Pongr Bucks for each pic, but also through social shares, likes, and recruiting new players! So if you send in some wildly fantastic pics and share them on your Facebook and Twitter, you can just sit back and watch the Pongr Bucks roll in courtesy of all your friends!

              At the end of the month, we will tally up the Pongr Bucks all participants earned from #pantry pics and announce the top earner (plus the person that invited the winner in the event a new person earns the top spot).

              You must link your account with a Facebook or Twitter (or even better, both!) to have a complete account. And one last thing: only new pongr’d pics submitted in October count. You cannot rely on previous pics or tag existing photos. You must invite people via Pongr’s invite link – otherwise we won’t know that you’re responsible for bringing the new super star on-board.

              Drumroll please… #mobile challenge winners!

              Brand Ambassadors, Pongr Contests | by

                You managed to get pretty creative taking pictures of yourself with your phones! And as Pongr star Jason P. proves, there’s no problem with resorting to a little Photoshopping to take the creativity to the next level. What an awesome pic!

                We always appreciate going the extra creative mile, but this contest’s winners were chosen through Jamie’s extremely complex and highly impartial top secret randomization process.

                Pongr player Amanda S. takes the gold in the #mobile challenge.

                So, without any further ado, here are your random winners!

                • First place: Amanda S. will be getting a $50 Best Buy gift card
                • Second place: Alex S. will be getting a $30 Best Buy gift card
                • Third place: Amy B. will be getting a $15 Best Buy gift card

                Congrats to all of our winners, and thanks to everyone for your entries! If you’re not sure whether we have your contact info, send an email with your info to contact@pongr.com.

                As always, make sure your accounts are linked with your Twitter and FB, to make sure we can contact you (and up your ability to bankroll tons of Pongr Bucks through social shares) if you win a contest!

                Stay tuned for another announcement later today!

                STIFF COMPETITION: Pongr’s Brand Planking & Owling Challenge!

                Pongr Contests, Uncategorized | by

                  Planking and owling have taken the web by storm. For those of you who haven’t yet heard of arguably the internet’s biggest photography memes as of late, they’re both pretty straightforward. Planking involves lying face down like (wait for it…) a plank, generally in an unexpected place, while owling is, well, perching like an owl, in an equally unusual spot.

                  We at Pongr believe planking and owling aren’t just about people. We want to get your favorite brands involved, so here are the details for our new challenge: Brand Planking/Owling on Pongr!

                  Between now and Wednesday, August 17, bust out your favorite brands and pose with ‘em! Whether you’re on a brand or with a brand, in a store, at your house or anywhere in between, we want to see it all! Owl on your bathtub ledge holding your favorite shampoo and conditioner, or plank on cases of your favorite sodas! The possibilities are endless.

                  To count in the challenge, you must put the hashtag #planking or #owling (whichever applies to your pic!) in the description of each entry, and send your pics to the brand featured in your picture @pongr.com (the guy above would send it to pepsi@pongr.com, and the girl to mcdonalds@pongr.com).

                  Prizes:

                  -$10 Gift Card – most Planking and/or Owling pics

                  -$10 Gift Card – single most creative or funny (as judged by Pongr) Planking and/or Owling pic

                  Disclaimer: Please use caution and do not put yourselves in a planking/owling position that may cause injury. Pongr is not responsible for any injury. We are also not responsible for any strange looks you get. 

                   

                  Brands on the Move: Turn your Pringles can into stereo speakers!

                  Brand Loyalty, Mobile Marketing | by

                    This Pringles potato chip display at Wal-Mart made us stop in our tracks!

                    Potato chips and audio definitely go together from the sound of the first crunch.  But who would have ever thought to combine the two passions?

                    We just stumbled across this in-store Pringles display at our local Wal-Mart and were blown away by the coolness factor. Think all of those bagged potato chip brands can turn their packages into stereo equipment?  We think not.

                    Apparently, music and audio geeks have been making cardboard speakers for years.  But if you want the Pringles mustachioed mascot — doesn’t he look like he belongs in the Big Band Era? — all you have to do is buy four cans.

                    Pongr is all about helping brands connect with their most loyal customers, whether it be through our mobile picture-sharing games or direct response campaigns utilizing our image recognition technology.  We’re impressed by how much Pringles has personalized their product, particularly through their Design Your Own Can feature:

                    Click on the image above to make your own personalized Pringles can!

                    We’re also impressed by the creativity of our Pongr players, one of whom recently contributed this snazzy shot to the gamestream with his mobile phone:

                    Pringles fans and other enthusiasts play Pongr to express their passion for favorite brands!

                    Is this some kind of high-tech potato chip holder or perhaps even a snack-munching robot?  If it’s the latter, it looks like he using the can as exercise equipment. Maybe that can be the next cross-over industry for Pringles after they dominate the stereo speaker market!

                    (“Brands on the Move” is an occasional series looking at product packaging and in-store promotional displays that stop our shopping carts in their tracks. Which brands have recently caught your attention at the supermarket, pharmacy, convenience store or department store? Snap and share at tips@pongr.com)

                    Pharmacy Pongr: Brands make first aid more fun

                    Brand Loyalty | by

                      Disney-branded Band-Aids caught my eye before the Chicago Cubs and Dallas Cowboys beach towels.

                      Yet another reason I wish I were six years old again!

                      We are living in the Golden Era of Skinned Knees.

                      When I was a kid, a simple beige Band-Aid or Curad strip and a kiss from mom or dad would be sufficient to stop the bleeding. But cartoon characters as a reward for taking a foolish playground or skateboarding risk? With bandage choices like these, I’d be voluntarily spilling pints.

                      I’ve seen novelty bandages before, most notably promoting The Flintstones and The Wiggles, but I had no idea the options and fashion brands have expanded so dramatically. I first noticed the classic Mickey Mouse Band-Aids when I was waiting in line at the Wal-Mart Pharmacy. Then my eyes wandered over to the adjacent aisle — hey, there’s lots of time to kill when you are waiting for a prescription.

                      Girl Power: Hello Kitty and Dora the Explorer come to the rescue!

                      Hello Kitty! Dora the Explorer! SpongeBob and Spider-Man! Woody and Jessie from Toy Story and Tinkerbell! Heck, the first aid aisle is now a virtual Cartoon Hall of Fame. What’s especially interesting is how there are enough licensing deals to go around in the adhesive bandage marketplace:

                      A smirking Shrek will stop the bloodshed. Brands like 3M's Nexcare can use the game of Pongr to connect with their most devoted customers!

                      And brands are finding that a little creativity can replace the licensed characters:

                      Action Bandages: Curad gets adventurous with camouflage, safari and skateboarding styles.

                      Whether you are waiting in a long line at the supermarket or pharmacy — or are waiting for a friend or loved one who promised to “just be a minute,” Pongr is a fun way to pass the time and explore new brands. But here’s the thing: The game starts out as an antidote to boredom and THEN you want to keep on playing.

                      After my prescription was filled, I just couldn’t help myself. I had to document the new Gillette Fusion ProGlide razors promoting the Red Sox, Yankees, Cubs, Giants and Cardinals.  But we’ll save that discovery — and talk about shaving boo-boos — for a future blog post.

                      Branded Beard Stubble: Gillette's Fusion ProGlide lets you shave with Major League Baseball Logos.

                      (What have you recently “discovered” at the supermarket or pharmacy while playing Pongr?  Let us know at tips@pongr.com)

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