Remember when you were a kid and dug into your first box of Cracker Jack? Some were excited to root through the whole box just to find the prize inside, whether it was a spinning top, decoder ring or other goodies. Well, it looks like times are changing.
PepsiCo (which owns the Cracker Jack brand through the Frito-Lay division) announced in a press release that the snack food, initially introduced in 1896, will replace the traditional toy prizes with “mobile digital experiences,” using codes that enable users to download baseball-style games through the Blippar app.
The promotion is part of a tie-in with the current baseball season, in the hopes of getting more fans to join in on the fun. “The Cracker Jack Prize Inside has been as much a part of the nostalgia and love for the brand as the unforgettable combination of caramel-coated popcorn and peanuts,” said Haston Lewis, senior director of marketing for Frito-Lay. “The New Prize Inside allows families to enjoy their favorite baseball moments through a new one-of-a-kind mobile experience, leveraging digital technology to bring the iconic Prize Inside to life.”
Players simply need to find a slip inside, which has instructions on how to download the free Blippar app to their mobile device, and redeem the code to play a number of baseball-inspired mini-games. Four games in all will be available through the promotion, including Dot Dash, Dance Cam, Get Carded and Baseball Star.
A redesign of the product’s cover will also be part of the promotion.
“We are a brand that authentically reminds people of simpler times, childhood memories and family experiences,” said Lewis. “With this redesign and new mobile game experience, the Cracker Jack brand embraces a modernized, young-at-heart attitude while keeping that treasured feeling of childhood wistfulness.”
