ARCHIVES: This is legacy content from before Marketing Dive acquired Mobile Marketer in early 2017. Some information, such as publication dates, may not have migrated over. Check out the new Marketing Dive site for the latest marketing news.

Dodge, Paramount Pictures incentivize engagement with Anchorman competition

Dodge and Paramount Pictures have rolled out an interactive digital and mobile competition to promote the upcoming film "Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues."

Consumers can access the competition through a mobile-optimized microsite or through Funny or Die?s Web site. Until Nov. 25, consumers can compete by ?touching? Ron Burgandy for the longest time by pressing on a button on a smartphone or clicking a mouse if accessing via desktop.

?We were looking for a way to transcend the campaign across multiple channels and to leverage the success of the broadcast and online videos, with a highly incentivized activity,? said Melissa Garlick, head of Dodge brand advertising at Chrysler, Auburn Hills, MI.

?We had some fun with a classic contest concept that felt like a throwback to Ron's era,? she said. ?We saw incredible engagement with the videos and this was a way to take engagement to its most extreme?how long can people possibly spend with this campaign??

Hands on Ron Burgundy
The digital game is based off of the "Hands on a Hard Body" contest where contestants compete to win a vehicle by keeping their hand on the vehicle the longest.

?Hands on Ron Burgundy? asks consumers to keep their digital hand on Ron Burgundy. The contest explains that since he has touched the lives of many, now his fans can touch him.

Consumers can access the game at www.burgundydodge.com or at www.funnyordie.com.

To play the game, consumers must connect to their Facebook or Twitter account, and then they have to touch a circle on Ron Burgundy for as long as they can. As the game progresses, the circle moves around.

After consumers finally let go, they can enter their score to have a chance at winning the 2014 Dodge Durango. They can also win additional prizes, including three trips for two to New York for the Anchorman 2 premiere on Dec. 15.

During the campaign a leaderboard will showcase the leading contenders, and throughout the competition hundreds of prizes will also be awarded. For example, consumers that touch Ron for two minutes this week will be entered to win a pair of movie tickets to see Anchorman 2.

Consumers can play as many times as they want, but only their highest score will count towards prizes.

Durango tie-in
While playing Hands on Ron Burgundy, consumers can take breaks to watch short videos and play mini-games and challenges that tie into the Dodge Durango.

In one video, Ron drives the Durango and hears the automated voice search telling him directions. He then screams that there is a woman stuck in the car. 

One of the mini-games ?Horsepower? lets consumers collect 360 horses, which is equivalent to the Durango?s 360 horsepower engine. Another game, "Catch the Girls," asks players to direct six of Burgundy's "babes" falling from the sky into the Durango's sunroof to sit in the passenger seats, filling the Durango's seven seats.

The 2014 Dodge Durango arrived in dealerships in North America in October. Since partnering with Paramount Pictures and Anchorman 2, Dodge has seen its Web site traffic increase by almost 80 percent.

The Hands on Ron Burgundy game should only increase traffic, especially on Dodge?s mobile site.

?Our goal is to get people to never leave the experience and mobile seemed most natural - as it is always with you,? Ms. Garlick said. ?Theoretically, if you wanted to take the game with you anywhere, mobile allows you the ability to actually do just that. We are hoping to see some innovative approaches to winning come out of this application.?

Final Take
Rebecca Borison is editorial assistant on Mobile Marketer, New York