Mucus Masher
Visit the site- Year
- 2024
- Objective
- Awareness
- Mechanic
- Arcade & Action
- Platform
- Web
- Agency
- Active Theory
Objective
Mucinex built years of brand recognition around destroying its mascot, Mr. Mucus, and had already seen strong engagement from ads that flattened him — so the brand handed that satisfaction to consumers directly during peak cold-and-flu season. Framing the game as the first branded campaign to build its core interaction on Getty Images' generative AI also let an OTC brand claim a tech-forward, category-first credential. The game closed on a $5 Mucinex coupon, turning play directly into a retail incentive.
Solution
Players land on mucusmasher.com and type any object they want to crush Mr. Mucus with, using a 20-character field, or tap a ready-made suggestion like a whale, a skyscraper, a house, a bulldozer, or planet Earth. The typed word generates as an image on the spot and drops onto the mascot in a 3D scene, smashing him flat. A "Mash Meter" scores the hit for originality and heft, then the player lands on a leaderboard and can browse the "Mash Hall of Fame" gallery of top smashes, share their own result, and claim a $5 coupon toward Mucinex products.
- 1
Players reach the game either directly at mucusmasher.com or by scanning a QR code posted at a street installation.
- 2
A warning screen tells players the AI-generated results might get weird.
- 3
The player types an object to smash the brand mascot Mr. Mucus with, in a field capped at 20 characters, or picks one of the offered suggestions (whale, skyscraper, house, bulldozer, planet Earth); a content filter blocks celebrity names and inappropriate entries, then the player submits with a "Smash!" button.
- 4
A generative AI model renders a unique image of the chosen object, which then drops into a 3D scene and crushes Mr. Mucus.
- 5
A "Mash Meter" scores the smash for originality, weight, and oddness of the chosen object.
- 6
Players compare their score against others through a weekly top-5 leaderboard and browse a "Mash Hall of Fame" gallery of the highest-rated smashes.
- 7
The player downloads the smash and shares it via a personal link or branded card to invite friends.
- 8
The session ends with a $5 coupon toward Mucinex products.
