Rumors

Purpose
Social interaction is essential for players to progress through an ARG. Our social media campaign through Facebook served as a method of information distribution and player interaction. The campaign connected players to the progression of the game and inspired their cooperation.

Design
Our Facebook campaign used three M&M character profiles: Roger Ramsey, the Red M&M, Yancy Young, the Yellow M&M, and Gretta Goldman, the Green M&M. The characters shared images, videos, and status updates that exposed rumors about the investigation and the identity of the culprit. The three players were the admins of a group entitled “The Hunt for the Starbucks Thief,” which was open to all participants in the game. The group served as a forum for discussion and interaction between players. Individual promotional events that took place throughout the ARG, such as vending machine clues, were linked to the group.

Results
Our social media campaign supported the progression of our ARG’s narrative from initial entry into the game to final product reveal. The campaign acted as an immersive environment for players to stay updated, connected, and interested in the game.