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April 7, 2003 - Strategy Media Archive
Best Media Plan

Best use of interactive: Winner
Rolaids rolls in the loot (with fruit)

Agency/media operation

Client
Pfizer Canada

Brand
Rolaids (Fruit Flavours)

Budget
$300,000

Media used
Online
Television
In-store

Timing
Fall 2002

Media team
Jennifer Wilson, media planner, Bates Canada
Cheryl Fryer, associate media director, Bates Canada

The background

Although it's a household name, it had been nearly five years since Rolaids last invested in consumer advertising support, depending instead on its loyal user base and strong brand heritage to sustain share in the upset stomach relief market.

But that market was changing with the launch of new products like Pepcid Complete and the introduction of new flavour and format varieties by Tums, Gaviscon and Maalox. And although Rolaids was winning the front-of-store battle with its rolls format, Tums continued to be the number-one overall player in the market, threatening Rolaids' share of the bottle format with its wide array of flavour options and calcium promise.

Rolaids needed to quell these competitive rumblings, and so prepared to launch a new fruit-flavour lineup that included Regular Strength Cherry, Extra Strength Tropical Punch and Cool Strawberry - thus delivering against consumers' needs for tastier ways to reduce heartburn.

Adding a bit of stress was the fact that the dollars available to support this national launch were limited, and there was no existing creative in the Rolaids arsenal that we could use to communicate the news.

The plan

Rolaids needed to memorably re-connect with upset stomach relief users, particularly women 25-44 who had moved to Tums for the variety of flavours and calcium benefits it offered.

Though older consumers could still recall the Rolaids jingle, the younger set had limited awareness of the brand. There was no doubt that getting back on these consumers' radar screens was going to be a challenge: these women lead incredibly busy lives and face constant demands.

So if the overarching objective was to create excitement and urgency around a brand using the new fruit flavours to drive traffic and stimulate trial, it had to be done in an unconventional but highly relevant and engaging way.

Thus, Bates Canada combined forces with Toronto-based Accumark Promotions Group, CanWest Global, and TVA to develop an integrated consumer promotion that would command consumer interest. To everyone's relief, this spirited partnership seamlessly extended an interactive premise into television, print and the in-store environment. "Roll in the Loot with Rolaids Fruit" was born!

At the heart of the program was an online spin-and-win game, designed to look like a slot machine complete with the requisite cherries, hosted at canada.com and tva.canoe.com.

Participants had the chance to win more than $100,000 in instant cash prizes and a grand prize trip for two to Bermuda. Entrants were required to name one of the new Rolaids Fruit flavours and enter a UPC code from one of the new bottles in order to play the game. A viral online component allowed entrants to "tell-a-friend" about "Roll in the Loot," and by doing so, increase their odds of winning.

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