Food marketing with video games: the Findus case study
Video games are increasingly proving to be an innovative and powerful tool in food marketing. Leading brands and companies are leveraging this interactive medium to engage consumers in new, creative ways. Using games makes it possible to build immersive experiences that capture attention and boost engagement.
We’ve often discussed how advergames can fit into the most effective marketing strategies. Today, we’ll dive into the new game we developed for Findus: Chick’n’Play, created as part of an integrated campaign promoting the new product line “Il Pollo di Carletto”.
Compared to traditional communication channels, a video game can engage and tell a brand story without feeling intrusive or boring. It also creates a direct interaction with the brand and/or product, shaping a new relationship with the audience-active and concrete.
The integrated campaign “Che Pollo!”
Findus launched the integrated campaign “CHE POLLO!” to promote its new chicken products. The campaign includes:
- a TV commercial
- the “Gnam-Gnam Dance” on TikTok
- the video game “Chick’n’Play”
- a prize contest where participants can win 600 branded water bottles and a 3-day trip to Berlin
The brand is betting on the chicken segment with a full product line supported by a highly integrated campaign. In short, Findus builds a single narrative thread across multiple channels.
From the TV commercial to the video game...
In the new Findus commercial, the star is the irreverent chameleon Carletto, who interacts with a fun family-challenging them with “gnam-gnam” moves and playing his new video game, Chick’n’Play.es and playing his new video game, Chick’n’Play.
The commercial was created by McCann Worldgroup Italy and produced by Think Cattleya together with Ubik. The campaign claim, “Campioni di gnam-gnam!”, also turned into a TikTok dance challenge: the Gnam-gnam Dance. Media planning was handled by Zenith.
As mentioned, the commercial shows the family playing Carletto’s video game. This is the gameplay developed by Code This Lab for Findus.
“The new media campaign for Carletto’s chicken range pulls every communication lever, from TV to social media, also activating in-store touchpoints and engagement initiatives for broader reach. Thanks to Carletto and his contagious charm, all of us can feel like kids again, having fun and sharing happy moments with family and friends.”
- Marco Miglioranza, Southern Europe Head of Marketing Findus -
The Chick’n’Play video game
What immediately grabs attention in the TV commercial is Carletto’s game: a video game that kids can find online and play from any device.
What does the game look like?
Chick’n’Play features 4 levels, designed by our team with pixel-art graphics. In the game, the hungry chameleon must clear each level by moving through different environments:
- Jungle
- Beach
- City Village
- Home environment
Each stage includes obstacles consistent with its setting, with progressively increasing difficulty. In the jungle, for instance, obstacles are nature-themed; at the beach you’ll find buckets and seaside objects; in the city, road manholes.
The goal is to score as many points as possible by eating crispy chicken nuggets along the way. By collecting sauces, Carletto transforms into Rainbow Carletto, gaining a temporary power-up that makes him invincible.
The game is a side-scrolling platformer, with the level moving across the screen like the original Super Mario Bros.
Chick’n’Play is a web game, playable online on both desktop and mobile devices, across major operating systems. You can play it on the dedicated site, or try the demo in the Code This Lab catalogue ↓
Many marketing publications have covered the Findus campaign, such as Brand News, Agen Food, and Youmark, highlighting the brand’s ability to create synergy across channels and build a cross-device narrative. This kind of strategy can significantly expand reach, making it a strong food marketing play.
Want to develop a video game for your project, or learn more about branded games?
