Stride Mega Mystery is gum that intentionally keeps its flavor a mystery.
As part of the launch campaign for the final “flavor” in the series, Stride Mega Mystery Last,
a final and greatest mystery was set up.
The prize money: 10.8 million yen.
To be bestowed on the first player that solves all 32 mysteries and reaches the goal.
It was an organic, participatory campaign executed on a scale that went beyond the scope of
traditional media, incorporating ARG—a form of gaming that was still rare in Japan.

The mystery game was first announced via TV commercial, which led viewers to the campaign site.
Once the mystery got started, players left the site to solve mysteries that were scattered
everywhere—both online and offline. They went back and forth, visiting regular sites online and
then visiting a particular location offline.
There was a back story to these mysteries and they were designed not as simple quizzes, but
mysteries that required reasoning skills to solve. They were carefully planned so that as the
mysteries were revealed, users became fully immersed in the world of the story, generating
interactions among users and encouraging all sorts of speculations.

-  The campaign was designed so that it wouldn’t be limited to a particular platform; this way,
users could immerse themselves in the world of mystery-solving in their daily lives.

 

-  Based on insight that says people would be tempted to tell others when they successfully solve a
mystery, gimmicks were embedded in the mystery-solving scheme to accelerate interactions
among users.

A 60-minute live program on USTREAM discussing the mystery.

The mystery didn’t just take place online, but expanded offline, across Japan.

A mysterious banner placed within the website of a local municipality served as the door to the next mystery.

Some clues could be found on stone plaques placed in different parts of Japan.

By calling the phone number on the sign, players were led to another clue.

Another clue was hidden at a site showing surveillance footage from an old house.

As the mystery deepened, friendly interactions and mutual assistance between users began to take
place. Before long, some began maliciously deceiving other players, eventually turning the game
into a team battle.
A wide variety of user-generated content on how to conquer the game continued to proliferate,
which in turn attracted new users to the game. These new connections added drama to the campaign.
At the same time, the brand, being at the center of these conversations, successfully established
deep connection with users.

Content that was released can be seen at the following URL:

【Solution 1】　http://youtu.be/wPYCDn8EvUE

【Solution 2】　http://youtu.be/T09cNmKYPmM

【Solution 3】　http://youtu.be/CBFUxe8CkYw

【Solution 4】　http://youtu.be/G3SKfEXClL8