In January, lolly giants Pascall New Zealand teamed up with kiwi radio brand MORE FM for an ambitious summer promotional campaign spread across conventional, in-store and social media channels. 

Designed by Mango PR and Events, the campaign saw MORE FM radio presenter Clarke Gayford and his posse of Pascall-branded Britz campervans set out on a road trip for two weeks through audience-nominated towns and tourist attractions to share lots of Pascall lollies and drum up consumer interaction with the Pascall brand.  

A long and winding road

The campaign began with a push by radio station MORE FM encouraging listeners to submit an online entry form for their chance to win a road trip in a Britz campervan and $5,000.  As part of the contest, listeners nominated what they thought were must-see locations and attractions on a classic kiwi road trip. 

The campaign then incorporated audience suggestions to form a trip itinerary for MORE FM presenter Clarke Gayford as he set out on a two-week adventure across the country, broadcasting from locations around NZ, visiting locals, giving away stacks of Pascall lollies and generally generating lots of activity on the Pascall Facebook page.

“Pascall lollies and Kiwi road trips go hand in hand, especially with iconic brands such as Pineapple Lumps and Milk Bottles,” says Mango senior account manager Amanda Fifield.  “With an extensive sales and outdoor promotion in place, Pascall was seeking PR support that would build some equity around this great creative concept and bring it to life.”

Aims

The Pascall Road Trip’s most obvious aim was to increase sales of Pascall lollies by linking Pascall with the fun of a classic summer road trip.  However, the campaign also presented a strategic opportunity for Pascall New Zealand to boost their social media participation base, particularly on Facebook—an opportunity seized by Mango. 

Channels Used

The Pascall Road Trip incorporated traditional and new media marketing channels to create a formidable experiential campaign.  MORE FM drove public interest with on-air promotions, live on-location broadcasts, trailers, mentions, ad-libs and Pascall give-aways, while in-store promotions were rolled-out simultaneously across New Zealand Shell, BP, New World, Countdown, and The Warehouse locations.
 
However, with expanding audience engagement, a key aim for the summer campaign, strategic Facebook and YouTube components were prominently featured.

Pascall gets social

Throughout the campaign’s duration, regular updates were posted to the Pascall New Zealand Facebook page, including videos of Gayford’s various adventures and antics syndicated from the Pascall YouTube channel.  

Users were encouraged to share their experience of Gayford’s stops, comment on videos, find out when the trip would visit them, and discuss which NZ locations should have been included. 

“Facebook was a crucial part of the mix,” says Fifield.  “Not only to grow friends for the brand, but also to interact with consumers and update them of the trip as it developed over the two weeks of adventures from Cape Reinga to Stewart Island.  It let people know where the Pascall team would be the next day, where they could find the sampling team, and gave them the chance to check out the images and posts from those who had met the team.”

Big effort, big outcomes

In terms of sales and audience participation, the campaign has been a resounding success. Pascall New Zealand has added almost 7,000 new friends to their Facebook page and received more than 900 likes and comments on wall posts. 

“We found lots of lolly loving friends out there!” says Fifield.  “The trip essentially kicked off the Facebook page with a bang and we now have a wonderful audience to interact with.”

And that audience seems to be responding.  Driven by Mango’s engaging campaign, Pascall reported an impressive 22% sales growth during the promotion—a sweet result no matter how you cut it.