Beverage giant Coca-Cola has launched a new iAd campaign that gives users the chance to vie for prizes by playing a mobile game.

The mobile ads promote Coca-Cola?s new 12.5 oz. bottles and encourage users to play a game to redeem Apple?s App Store credits. The ads are running on iAd?s network inside iPhone applications including TV Guide and CBS News.

?Using a rich media iAd allows Coca-Cola to deliver a better user experience and interactive campaign,? said Simon Buckingham, CEO of Appitalism, New York.

?The mechanics of the Coca-Cola promotion are well designed since consumers are already familiar with performing actions in order to earn rewards from freemium games on the iPhone and Facebook,? he said.

Mr. Buckingham is not associated with Coca-Cola.  He commented based on his expertise on the subject.

Coca-Cola did not respond to press enquiries.

Frosty drinks
The copy for the mobile ad promotes the new size of Coca-Cola bottles and encourages users to tap to play a game.

Once a user taps on the ad, they are taken to a mobile landing page where they can learn about the game.

To play, users swipe their finger over a frosted sheet of glass to find bottles of Coca-Cola. To go along with the new size of the bottles, users have 12.5 seconds to play the game.

The game consists of three rounds that get harder the more consumers play. If a user makes it through all three rounds, they have the chance of redeeming $12.50 in App Store credit.

Users who complete the game are sent an email with a code that can be entered used in the App Store towards virtual goods.

The campaign is running through May 30.

iWin
Coca-Cola has been doing a lot in the mobile space recently for each of its brands.

The company recently began placing mobile bar codes on soda cups in fast food chains to let consumers enter for a chance to win a trip to the NCAA Men?s Final Four Tournament (see story).

Additionally, the company used a mobile site in its Super Bowl advertising to tie in driving donations for its ongoing Arctic Home campaign (see story).

Giving users a rich-media interaction for tapping on a mobile ad is a great way for a company to increase an ad?s engagement. Additionally, letting consumers vie for a prize, especially a virtual good that they can redeem instantly on their device, gives users an incentive for playing the game.

Apple?s iAd mobile advertising network has faced flack for how expensive and tailored it is compared to other mobile ad networks that reach multiple devices at a lower cost. However, the Coca-Cola campaign is a good example of how brands can take advantage of Apple?s features in campaigns.

The Coca-Cola ad takes advantage of directing users to Apple?s App Store, which they can access on any iOS mobile device or laptop. The value of the prize ? more than $12 ? is a substantial reward for users.

?It is beneficial for advertisers to use iAd to target Apple consumers since the iPhone has a consistent screen size,? Mr. Buckingham said.

?As such, the Coca-Cola campaign does not require much optimization for lots of different screen sizes as an Android campaign would,? he said.

Final Take
Lauren Johnson is editorial assistant on Mobile Marketer, New York