689 Design

Create A Killer Promotion

California-based 689 Design, which specializes in developing creative marketing solutions for companies of all sizes, was looking to land a really big client. But to get the attention of Blizzard Entertainment, makers of World of Warcraft - the largest massive multi-player online role playing game (MMORPG) - they had to come up with a promotion that beckoned to gamers in their own language.

Adam Cagle, one of the managing directors of 689 Design, had an idea: “In World of Warcraft (WOW), the game where our promotion would appear - players hold currency in gold, silver, and copper. We thought it was perfect to use actual coins as our contest prize. We designed coins that had our logo on one side and the WOW logo on the other, making it a collector's item for players right away.”

A one-ounce solid gold coin was given as the first prize; a one-ounce silver coin was given as a second prize; and the third place contestant was given a one-ounce copper coin.

The WOW promotion turned out to be the most successful in 689 Design's history. “As a result of this contest and the publicity from it, we saw over three million new visitors to our website. We are definitely planning on doing a new promotion with the same prize this year,” Cagle said.