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M&M’s THE LOST FORMULAS POSITIONING DOCUMENT AND MARKETING SUPPORT NORTH AMERICA
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M&M’s Title: M&M’s: The Lost Formulas Tagline: A High Energy 3D Action Math Game Platform: Win 98/95 & Power Mac/iMAC Category: Kid’s Entertainment Target Audience: Primary: Parents/Kids ages 5 to 10 Secondary: Families Pricing: Wholesale - $14.00/ Estimated Street Price - $19.95 Ship Date: September 11, 2000 Branding: A High Energy Math Game that Melts in Your Mind! Products Based on Property:
3D Accelerator Card Required Minimum Windows® System Requirements: Windows®
95/98 Minimum Macintosh®/iMac™ System Requirements: IMac™/Power
Macintosh® G3 266Mhz or faster The Lost Formulas is a fast-moving 3D action/education game based on the M&M’s license, starring Yellow and Red. The game uses a proprietary 3D graphics engine that provides a high level of player interactivity in a fast, colorful and detailed 3D world. The game takes place in and around a fictional Mars Candy M&M’s factory where the Minis have been mistakenly left in charge. The minis have “acquired” ten candy formulas, torn them into pieces and hidden them, so all hell has broken loose. The factory’s gone haywire, robots have gone berserk, machines are misfiring and chocolate is flowing everywhere. With Yellow as the protagonist and Red frequently appearing as his comic foil and confidant, the two set out to make things right. Cinematic cut scenes at the beginning and end of each level add to the set up. Kids 5 to 10, complete age-appropriate addition, subtraction, multiplication and division drills, while they race through this wild and funny action game and to help Yellow find the lost formulas and restore order to the factory. The look and feel is completely unique and hi-tech, utilizing the power of the 3D card. · Stunning high-resolution 3D graphics · Non-violent 3D adventure for the entire family · Math facts in quick, action-oriented game play kids will love · Plays like a video game – drills like a brain game · Game features the television voice talent of Red, Yellow and Green · Game storyline coincides with M&M’s Q4 ‘00/Q1 ‘01 television campaign · Proprietary 3D engine · 10 regular game levels, one for each missing formula, plus four bonus levels · Constant humor to keep kids interested The Lost Formulas might be seen as the Math Blaster of the 21st century – the next generation of gameplay and marketing. The title’s content will focus on math facts presented in a quick and action-oriented fashion and blended seamlessly into the video-game-style gameplay. The title will leverage M&M’s marketing presence to stand out in a crowded marketplace. · Ages 5 and up (“if you can count you can play”) · Ideally the software will have the same universal demo as M&M’s candy (toddler to senior citizen). · The Lost Formulas will be categorized as children’s educational/edutainment software, in the broadest sense of the term. This will place it in children/family sections of Computer Superstores, Electronic Shops and Mass Merchants. How It Differs From the Competition The first action adventure game designed to seamlessly blend education and video-style –gameplay, and supported by one of the most recognizable brands and its spokes candies. US Competitive Category Sales While there are no direct competitors for M&M’s The Lost Formula’s (i.e., other licensed properties with national television and print support for kid’s edutainment), below are the top math/education titles in the age category in 1999.
Rationale for Launching This Product · To capitalize on the M&M’s brand and bring it into the world of digital entertainment. · Leverage the continuing popularity and growth of M&M/Mars spokes candies to subtly teach kids basic math skills. · To create a new niche/category of learning action games using recognizable characters. · There are presently over 50 licensees ranging from stickers to telephones. · 97.3% brand recognition Q Score Support · The overall average score for these characters is 51, 122% more than the overall average score for the 643 characters in the study. · In the demographics we are most concerned with, the characters had one of the highest rankings. · Television support for the brand. · M&M’s brand is #1 in advertising spending in the category, committing more than 3x the dollars versus the next closest competitor. M&M’s BackgroundM&M’s is a registered trademark of Mars, Inc. one of the largest and most secretive companies in the world, whose annual revenues reach $15 billion. It is the #2 candy maker in the US and #1 company internationally, and is #5 on FORBES list of privately held top 500 corporations. Mars candy products include M&M’s, Snickers, Milky Way, 3 Musketeers, Skittles, Twix, and Starburst. In addition, the company offers Dove ice cream, Combos and Kudos snacks, Uncle Ben’s Rice (the #1 brand) and pet food. Mars sells its products in more than 100 countries on five continents, with manufacturing facilities in more than 60 countries. · Today, M&M’s are found in more than 500,000 retail locations, with more than 350 million bags available at any one time, over 400 million M&M’s made daily, and over 124 billion M&M’s produced each year. · M&M’s, Mars flagship brand, was introduced to the US in 1941 and sold to American GI’s. · In 1981, NASA space shuttle astronauts selected M&M’s as part of their official food supply. · Mars has successfully evolved the M&M’s brand and characters into a strategic and tactical marketing force. · M&M’s television, radio and print campaigns were initiated in the 1950’s with the slogan “Melts in you mouth, not in your hand.” · The advertising campaign, beginning in 1996, utilizing Red and Yellow spokescandies, ranked #1 among more than 60 campaigns as rated by USA Today, and Marketing Evaluation Inc. said the popularity of the characters surpassed the popularity of Mickey Mouse and Bart Simpson. · The M&M’s Counting Book has sold more than 750,000 copies · Each M&M spokescandy, with a unique personality trait, has captured audiences of all ages, becoming some of the most recognized and loved characters in the world. · M&M’s maintains an active and heavily trafficked site at http://www.m-ms.com · Estimated monthly traffic stands at 3 million hits · Mars actively promotes the brand through licensed goods sales, on-line games and puzzles, fanzine and fan club memberships. · M&M’s The Lost Formulas will be actively promoted on this site on its release in September 2000
One disk will contain the following language versions: · British English · American English · French · German · Italian · Spanish · Dutch · Danish Disk 2 will contain the following language versions: · Polish · Czech · Hungarian · Slovenian · Distinct and highly recognizable images of Red and Yellow · Dominant M&M’s branding · Emphasis on arcade action gameplay · Embossed and glossed boxes to compete with such recognized software brands as Lego, Tonka, Barbie or Mario Bros. Primary Sales Channels: Core distribution in mass, clubs and superstores Alternative Channels: Online sales opportunities; viral and guerilla marketing; work with M&M’s to integrate with web site Promotional Opportunities: Cross-promotions with Mars’ other licensees; account specific promotions developed in conjunction with M&M/Mars Pre-launch · Behind the scenes look at the development and progress of The Lost Formulas. · Contest to name creatures/machines in the game. · Preview-downloadable demo. · Movie style trailer – (avi) · Beta testing Launch · Online real-time contest that allows browsers to answer 10 math related questions and purchase the game online for $9.99, a $10 saving. · 3 Downloadable demos of The Lost Formulas · E-mail special offer to database including downloadable demo of MINIs Madness for Game Boy on M&M’s site · Direct response email campaign with Kids Domain · Support on Apple site · 3 Downloadable demos for M&M’s web site, as well as other major online gaming sites · 1 level of gameplay National M&M’s Mini Campaign · For launch of M&M’s the new Mega Tubes will feature The Lost Formulas on 25 million consumer packs · Offer is direct response. Consumer sends 5 wrappers and $9.95 plus shipping and handling and receives jewelcase version of product · Promotion dates, September 15 through December 31 · Distribution in all major mass merchants, drugstores, grocery chains and department stores · Cross promotion with 3dfx on their 250,000 boxes and on their website Avon · 500,000 Avon reps selling the product · 32 million catalogs distributed nationwide in October· National Amusements · November 3-December 28 on 1100 screens in 104 theaters (10 million in attendance) · Onscreen slides, backlit signs, counter displays and 200,000 promotional coupons M&M’s World · Game demo will be on 4 computers where 4 ˝ million visitors pass through each year. M&M’s Vending Machine · Vending machine promotion Apple · Support on Apple site, holiday catalog and in store endcaps · Selected as best of category by Apple Promotion PartnersAppleM&M’s3dfx IntelIn-Store Video · VHS and BETA versions of game trailer are available Promotional Product Descriptions 50 Word Description: The hysterical Mini’s, left in charge of the M&M’s factory, have hidden the candy formulas and the factory has gone completely nuts! You must find the formulas and restore order in this high energy 3D game. Churning Chocolate, rampaging robots, cascading candy and math games test your smarts and challenge your game reflexes. 25 Word Description: Find missing formulas and restore order to the M&M’s factory in this wild and funny 3D action game, featuring churning chocolate, rampaging robots and challenging math games. 10 Word Description: Fast action 3D entertainment for the whole family starring the M&M’s Mini’s. National Review Mailing Preview to Education writers/Technology writers More than 300 review mailings to newspapers, television, radio and on-line sites · Beta mailing to key game and software pubs · Pitch business trades about M&M’s venturing into the Digital World · Final product mailing to all game and PC pubs, news and entertainment TV & radio, all on-line review media Online Publicity · Luminant to begin publicizing The Lost Formulas in October on M&M’s site M&M’s PR Effort · M&M’s to conduct corporate PR within their industry and through retail and wholesale network · Work with 3dfx to show how technology is such an important part of this game. Consumer Print · Family PC Magazine · Nickelodeon · Family Network Weeklies · Parenting · Disney · Newsweek e Life Trade Print · Kid Screen · GameWeek · Games Business Radio · Fox Kids · Disney May 11-13 E3 Trade Show · Simon & Schuster Interactive to feature PC (distr. by Macmillan) and Gameboy (distr. by Majesco) products in exciting M&M’s kiosk October 15 Online Initiative · Luminant Worldwide will commence with promotion and introduction of PC and Gameboy products August 22 PC Gold Master · Gold Master for the PC ready and manufacturing to commence September 15 Street Date For PC Game · The Lost Formulas available at all major retailers September 15-November 15 M&M Mini’s On-Pack and Box Promotion · M&M’s Mini’s Tubes to feature PC Game on 20 million packs with mail-in offer of $9.95 with 5 wrappers September 30 M&M’s Halloween Candy Lay-Down · Mass Merchants re-stock for Halloween trick or treat push Oct 1 Avon · 32 million catalogs in circulation M&M’s THE LOST FORMULAS · Install M&M's The Lost Formulas; sign-in as usual. · Start a level. · Press ESCAPE to get the "Level" menu. · Then type BOSTON. This brings up the CHEAT MENU, which gives you access to any level, any cinematic. · If you restart the program, the regular menu should come back and you must type BOSTON again to get back to the cheat menu. · Please Note: Moving around in the levels through the cheat menu interrupts the normal linear flow of the game and may cause problems in scoring, saving, etc. In order to play with regular gameplay, we recommend that you Uninstall and re-Install the game. · If you are having trouble with the racing gameplay in level 1, there is also a cheat to open up level 2. Press Escape and slowly type the word SIMON and this will let you skip Level 1 and open Level 2. This info is contained in the Read Me and on the Web Site, under tips and hints. http://m-ms.com/lostform/tips_1.html. |
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