Mountain Dew.
Mountain Dew is turning discovery into a game with its ‘Mountain Dew Flavour Hunt’ activation via brand experience agency Curious Nation.
Developed in partnership with 7-Eleven and Finders Keepers Australia, the activation launches two flavours, Blue Razz Blitz and Typhoon, through a series of real-world, social-first treasure hunts designed to drive foot traffic, engagement and cultural relevance.
“We wanted to create genuine excitement around these new flavour launches and give people a reason to seek them out in-store,” said Asahi Beverages customer and shopper marketing manager, Jess Smyth.
“The Flavour Hunt concept allowed us to connect cultural behaviour with retail in a way that felt natural and engaging.”
41% of Gen Z say they are ready to try new snack or drink flavours immediately upon release, the highest of any generation, according to research by Mountain Dew.
The first Mountain Dew Flavour Hunt, which introduced Mountain Dew Blue Razz Blitz, saw participants follow teaser clues on social media to track down a hidden $700 cash prize at a Melbourne 7-Eleven location.
The latest activation for Mountain Dew Typhoon is sending participants across three Melbourne-based stores in a city-wide hunt for a total of $2,100 in cash.
The initial hunt generated more than 2.6 million views and more than 13,000 engagements, while the Typhoon hunt has currently surpassed one million views.
“We were excited to work with Mountain Dew to bring this campaign to life. Instead of treating the flavour launch like a broadcast moment, we treated it like a discovery mechanic,” said Curious Nation co-founder and head of strategy Gareth Brock.
“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.
“Retail launches often feel manufactured. The hype is announced before it is earned. This campaign flipped that dynamic by turning the product release into something people could participate in physically and socially at the same time.
“The result was not just awareness, but action, driving audiences from content directly into store.”
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