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It was the event of the summer, and many of us are still trying to get over the unmistakable whirring of the vuvuzela stadium horns that filled the airwaves as the 2010 World Cup took over every bar and living room from Johannesburg to Jersey City.

Convenience store 7-Eleven is celebrating its iconic Slurpee frozen beverage with a mobile tour targeting 16- to 24-year-olds at favorite summer hang outs--malls, movie theatres, concerts, water parks, fairs and festivals. The tour is traveling in two 16-foot vans and three 32-foot vans, all branded with colorful artwork, where consumers can sample Slurpee flavors, play low-tech backyard-style games with balls and stacking cups or video games to win key chains, magnets, stickers and more. Brand ambassadors hand out coupons to drive in-store redemption in each market.
 

Solar energy was at the heart of AT&T’s display at Earth Day’s 40th anniversary celebration on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., where thousands gathered on April 19 to embrace green living and practices. Though branding was not allowed, the company’s signature colors and iconic blue globe gave its identity away, and attendees flocked to it to take advantage of its mobile services.

Cisco’s flagship annual customer conference has been a pillar of its portfolio for 20 years, but nothing rocked its foundation like the economic recession of 2009. Founded in 1984, the San Jose, CA-based maker of networking hardware and software had weathered the dot-com boom and bust with relative ease, but for the first time in its history, faced unprecedented concerns about attendee turnout—and attendee revenue—at its largest event, Cisco Live!

Making consumers work to be part of a brand engagement seems counterintuitive, but brands like Canadian Club Whisky, Starwood Hotels and Red Bull are doing just that.

The secret to their success is a modern twist on an old idea—a scavenger hunt that integrates the web with the real world for a series of branded experiences filled with clues, chases and great prizes.