Jack Daniel?s Tennessee Whiskey is inviting its social media followers to participate in a regional scavenger hunt that asks players to decipher clues posted on its Facebook page and be the first to arrive at a secret location to win a trip to its distillery.

The alcohol brand is spreading word of its USA Barrel Hunt contest by taking out sponsored ads on Facebook to target age-appropriate consumers and posting information on its official Facebook page, which participants must follow in order to play. The multi-city scavenger hunt kicks off in New York on August 12, and will make its way to Chicago, Los Angeles, Austin and Nashville this summer as the whiskey marketer gears up for the Jack Daniel Distillery 150th Anniversary Celebration slated for October 8.

?Involving consumers in a real-life scavenger hunt creates a highly engaging brand experience that leaves an indelible impression on participants,? said Shuli Lowy, director of customer success, Americas at TVTY/The Moment Marketing Company.

?When done properly, it can also fuel substantial social media buzz by encouraging people to post pictures and use a unified hashtag which amplify the brand voice.?

Barreling up social engagement
Jack Daniel?s Facebook fans ? as well as other target consumers living in or near the cities included in the contest ? may spot posts or ads featuring information on the regional Barrel Hunt challenges. Consumers interested in participating must follow Jack Daniel?s Tennessee Whiskey?s Facebook page and remain on the lookout for clues on the date of their city?s regional challenge.

Each contest begins with a series of photo- and text-based clues and a unique password that will be posted on the brand's Facebook page. Fans must decipher the clues and remember the password as they hunt down the secret location in which a Jack Daniel?s barrel will be hidden.

Once a player stumbles upon the barrel, he or she must touch it and relay the unique password to the brand ambassador standing watch.

The first clue will be posted on Facebook at 4 pm in each city?s local time, with up to three additional clues posted afterwards.

Each regional contest will conclude once a winner is identified or two hours after the fourth clue has been uploaded.

The USA Barrel Hunt will kick off in New York on August 12, Chicago on August 17, Los Angeles on August 26, Austin on September 2 and Nashville on September 9.

All challenges take place between 4 pm and 9 pm local time.

Each regional contest will crown one master prize winner, who will receive the hidden barrel ? sans alcohol ? as well as a custom bar kit and a trip for two to Lynchburg, TN, the location of the Jack Daniel?s distillery.

The winner will receive airfare, accommodation and admission for two to the Jack Daniel Distillery 150th Anniversary Celebration, which is set to occur on October 8.

Mobile-supported scavenger hunts
Jack Daniel?s will likely uncap a slew of new social followers following the kickoff of the regional challenges. Consumers who already follow the brand?s Facebook page will also be incentivized to regularly follow its updates.

The alcohol marketer also has a dedicated microsite for the challenges, jackdanielsbarrelhunt.com, where visitors can view past winners, interact with a countdown for the next citywide contest and discover where recent barrels have been found.

Several other major brands have also found value in rolling out mobile-supported scavenger hunts, a strategy that proves to be popular among millennials and younger consumers.

Last summer, Anheuser-Busch kicked off an interactive hidden-message Instagram campaign, emphasizing the importance of leveraging unique call-to-action content through social media to appeal to users (see story).

Several months ago, California Pizza Kitchen built on a recent push into social media by encouraging consumers to follow clues on Twitter or a mobile-optimized microsite and search for hidden pizza dough in 12 cities for a chance to win a year?s worth of pizza (see story).

However, these strategies can be bolstered even more with the addition of well-placed mobile ads that incite passersby to participate in the scavenger hunts.

?Mobile advertising becomes a key component of promoting scavenger hunts because of the granular geo-targeting that brands can access,? Ms. Lowy said. ?When promoting a scavenger hunt, it's important to make sure that ads are only served to consumers who are close enough to the location of the hunt that they'd consider participating.

?With mobile, advertisers can leverage hyperlocal geo-targeting, which allows them to define smaller and more accurate geo-fences within which their ads could be placed,? she said. ?This ensures that only people who are near the key locations will be served the ads.

?When promoting a scavenger hunt before it has begun, it's important to give consumers direction on how they can stay informed on next steps once the hunt starts. Jack Daniel's should consider including a call-to-action inviting people to like its page or subscribe to get the first clue when the hunt begins.?