Downy Unstopables to Present Massive Scavenger Hunt

Procter & Gamble’s new Downy Unstopables in-wash scent booster line and location-based gaming platform SCVNGR will descend on Las Vegas on Dec. 3 to launch a huge “web and mortar” scavenger hunt. Hosted by actress and author Amy Sedaris, the event will be credentialed by Guinness World Records as the “Largest Digital Scavenger Hunt,” in which participants will use their mobile devices to unearth the SCVNGR challenges hidden among Vegas’ best scent experiences. The grand prize-winning team gets to split a $20,000, while second-place team will be able to spend that night in a high-roller suite at the Bellagio.

Teams can sign up for hunt until Dec. 2 by visiting www.downyunstopableshut.com, with the first 750 teams chosen to take part on a first-come, first-serve basis. In play, each team must have an iPhone or Android smartphone. On the day of the event, participants will be directed to a number of cultural landmarks and local venues around the city based on clues and riddles supplied by the application. Once there, they’ll complete a specific challenge that will help them earn points and proceed to the next task. The team that completes the most challenges and amasses the most points wins.

“Downy Unstopables was developed for the consumer who just can’t get enough scent and freshness in her life and in her laundry,” explained Carolina Rogoll, Downy brand manager at Cincinnati-based P&G, adding that the unique promotion would “showcase the product and the amazing, amplified sensorial experience it provides. We know that if it can stand out in Las Vegas, it can stand out anywhere.”

Sedaris, best known for her work on Comedy Central’s ”Strangers With Candy,” will not only serve as master of ceremonies for the event, but will also appear in the Downy Unstopables marketing campaign, which includes TV, print and online advertising, integration with the Downy Facebook page and Downy website, along with in-store signage.

To connect the goings-on in Vegas with consumers all over, a special online version of the scavenger hunt will take place on the Downy website shortly before and after the real-life event has ended. Through Dec. 5, consumers will receive on www.downy.com that they can use to search for hidden Unstopables “scent beads” throughout the site. Once the beads are found, consumers are entered for a chance to win a trip to Las Vegas. The website will additionally feature Downy Unstopables product information and a product demo video starring Sedaris.

Downy Unstopables comes in two scents that, when used alone or combined with current Downy liquid fabric softener, give consumers customized freshness in their laundry. Fresh offers a clean, crisp, and refreshing scent, and can be used with Downy Clean Breeze, while Lush will enhance the benefits of Downy Simple Pleasures Lavender Serenity. The SRP is $6.99 per bottle.

Founded in 2008 by a 19-year-old Princeton dropout, Cambridge, Mass.-based SCVNGR has grown into a mobile gaming company with partners in more than 12,000 locations.