8 Reclutas
- Year
- 2008
- Objective
- Lead Gen & Recruiting
- Industry
- Entertainment
- Mechanic
- Arcade & Action
- Platform
- Web
- Agency
- GrupoW
Objective
Rexona for Men's "Sportfan" line wanted to stay close to Mexican soccer fans as the national team entered World Cup 2010 qualifying, giving them a reason to engage with the brand online through the qualifying cycle rather than just at retail. The push was Grupo W's fourth digital campaign for Rexona in Mexico, continuing a run of interactive work for the brand.
Solution
Players arrive at the 8 Reclutas site to try out for a spot alongside Mexico's national team, and clicking around the site itself is part of the game — extra pages, video, and challenges only reveal themselves as you explore. Tryouts run through a set of mini-games of varying difficulty: one rewards real knowledge of Mexican soccer, while another is as simple as taking a penalty kick, so casual fans can compete too. Each mini-game score feeds a running leaderboard, and a session ends with players checking how they rank against everyone else trying out. The eight highest scorers win "recluta" passes to travel with Mexico's national team to its World Cup 2010 qualifying matches.
- 1
Before launch, teaser placements on major portals such as Yahoo! hint at the campaign without revealing what it is; the full site follows later.
- 2
The player lands on the 8reclutas.com promo site, a full-screen Flash environment for Rexona for Men's "Sportfan" edition, dressed up with video and animation as a recruitment announcement.
- 3
The premise is explained as a recruiting process: the player must prove they rank among the eight best performers, with the promise of playing whenever and wherever they choose.
- 4
Navigation itself is part of the experience: the player clicks around to explore the site, uncovering sections and bonus content that aren't listed in any visible menu.
- 5
The core loop is a series of distinct mini-games of varying difficulty and required skill, ranging from a challenge that demands knowledge of Mexican football to a penalty-kick game accessible even to players unfamiliar with the sport.
- 6
Results from every mini-game feed into an overall tally, and the eight players with the highest combined scores rise to the top of the standings.
- 7
The eight winners are named "recluta" and receive a pass to accompany the Mexican national team through all of its qualifying matches for the 2010 World Cup.
