Mountain Dew has gamified the launch of its two new flavours, Blue Razz Blitz and Typhoon, through a series of city-wide treasure hunts developed by brand experience agency Curious Nation, in partnership with 7-Eleven and Finders Keepers Australia.
The ‘Mountain Dew Flavour Hunt’ activation used social media clue drops to drive Gen Z consumers to physical 7-Eleven locations across Melbourne, with cash prizes at the end of each hunt.
The first activation, tied to the Blue Razz Blitz launch, directed participants to a single Melbourne 7-Eleven to find a hidden $700 cash prize. The Typhoon hunt expanded the format, spreading across three stores for a combined $2,100 prize pool.
The campaign drew on research indicating 41% of Gen Z consumers are ready to try new snack or drink flavours immediately on release – the highest of any generation.
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Strong organic performance
The Blue Razz Blitz activation generated more than 2.6 million views and over 13,000 engagements organically. The Typhoon hunt had already surpassed one million views at the time of publication.
Jess Smyth, customer and shopper marketing manager at Asahi Beverages, said: “We wanted to create genuine excitement around these new flavour launches and give people a reason to seek them out in-store. The Flavour Hunt concept allowed us to connect cultural behaviour with retail in a way that felt natural and engaging.”
From content to checkout
Gareth Brock, co-founder and head of strategy at Curious Nation, said the campaign was designed to work with, rather than against, existing Gen Z behaviour.
“Instead of treating the flavour launch like a broadcast moment, we treated it like a discovery mechanic. Gen Z audiences are already conditioned by social-first hunt formats that reward speed, curiosity and participation. So rather than interrupting behaviour, we built around one that already existed,” Brock said.
“Retail launches often feel manufactured. The hype is announced before it is earned. This campaign flipped that dynamic by turning the product release into an experience people could participate in both physically and socially. The result was not just awareness, but action, driving audiences from content directly into store.”