Some companies use a celebrity spokesperson to promote their products. When Dodge launched the new 2014 Durango, that spokesperson was Anchorman's Ron Burgundy. What followed was a full-scale, mustached assault on conventional car marketing extending across every platform available. The result was a milestone campaign bent on ignoring the tired "best practices" of selling cars, just the way Ron Burgundy demanded it. Durango sales skyrocketed, pop culture drank it in, every mark was hit and a new marketing term called “the Burgundy Effect" was born.Once the Burgundy Effect was in full swing, people couldn't get enough of Ron and the Durango but we couldn't help but feel like they needed to get closer. To give Durango enthusiasts the most personal experience with Ron Burgundy and the vehicle possible through computer technology, a unique online game was developed. Based on the classic Hands on a Hard Body endurance contest where contestants held their hands on an actual car for days on end for a chance to win it, Hands on Ron Burgundy gave users points for time spent "touching Ron" on their PC or smartphone. The victor would receive a brand-new 2014 Durango. This ultimate challenge of dexterity included innovative mini games like "Catch the Babes" and constant vehicle-feature content to both entertain and educate users about the Durango. We responded to participants in real time with customized motivational websites, personalized autographed head shots from Ron and even pizza deliveries to keep people touching as long as they could. In total, over 96,000 players spent the equivalent of 2.4 years engaging with Ron and the Durango, and the contest led to a 146% increase in campaign video views. The game gave people a fun, more intimate, way to connect to the campaign.
