Summer Road Trip 2026 - Campaign Support and Ideas
Concept 1
Welcome to Sweet Route
the Candy-Land-meets-Road-Trip adventure that turns summer snacking into an odometer-spinning game!
Imagine hopping into a Skittles-striped muscle car, a Starburst dune buggy, or a Life Savers surf-truck. The moment you scan a pack’s QR, the dashboard lights up and a giant retro odometer starts clicking upward:
- 1 mile for every single penny you spend on Skittles®, Starburst®, or Life Savers® (upload any retailer receipt, and the system does the math—$12.37 = 1,237 miles).
- Big mileage boosts for bonus play: photo-challenge “detours,” geo-tagged candy landmarks, surprise mini-boss pop-ups, and state-line check-ins.
- Live leaderboard & animated game board styled like a glossy Candy Land track—one endless highway where every player’s vehicle is visible in real time.
Campaign Concepts
How the Journey Unfolds
Phase | What Shoppers Do | How They Move the Odometer | Why It Hits Mars KPIs |
Start Your Engines | Pick a candy-branded ride; personalize a license plate. | +50 welcome miles. | Frictionless entry, brand affinity. |
Fuel-Up Purchases | Snap a receipt in-car style; OCR reads SKUs & totals automatically. | +1 mile per $0.01; | Drives units & basket size. |
Sweet Detours | Roadside photo prompts (e.g., #RainbowFuel at a scenic overlook). | +40-100 bonus miles each. | Generates UGC-led buzz & social reach. |
Surprise Pop-Ups | Timed challenges (karaoke pit-stop, Starburst sunset selfie). | Big multipliers; leaderboard shake-ups. | Sustains engagement mid-program. |
Reward Reveals | Every 250 miles unlocks a loot-box animation (gas e-cards, YETI gear, playlists), plus sweepstakes entries. | Tangible value & bragging rights. | Converts miles to instant gratification and data capture. |
The single shared route amplifies our “one road, many memories” insight from the 2026 concept deck—everyone sees themselves and friends progressing together, sparking healthy FOMO and repeat uploads.
Why It Works for Mars
- Turns Spend into Story: Measuring in miles (not points) makes every cent feel like distance travelled—perfectly on-theme for the road-trip occasion and impossible to forget at shelf.
- Candy-Land Nostalgia: Familiar rainbow tiles, spinner-style UI, and collectible vehicles tap childhood memories, making receipt upload feel like advancing a game piece, not “admin.”
- Always-Fresh Content: Weekly environment skin swaps (golden-hour drives, neon nights) and rotating detours keep the board from ever feeling stale—so shoppers keep returning and scanning.
- One Tech Stack, Three Brands: Skittles, Starburst, and Life Savers share the same platform and data layer, simplifying reporting while letting each brand shine with its own vehicle and pit-stops.
- First-Party Data & Incremental Trips: Every upload captures SKU, spend, retailer, and opt-in preferences; geo-fenced detours nudge users into partner C-stores for bonus miles—closing the loop from media to shelf to CRM.
Sweet Route doesn’t just reward road-trippers—it becomes part of the trip, turning snack runs into mile-racking adventures that supercharge Mars’ summer sales and fuel a mountain of first-party insights.
Let’s hit the highway and make Summer 2026 the sweetest road-trip ever! 🚙💨🌈
Concept 2
Sweet Route - Road Trip Planner
"Sweet Route" – The Ultimate Summer Road Trip Co-Pilot
The core idea, "Take The Sweeter Route," emphasizes that the journey, filled with joyful moments and shared experiences, is as important as the destination. The "Sweet Route" platform is the dynamic digital engine designed to bring this concept to life, transforming road trips into engaging, rewarding, and candy-fueled adventures.
Key Feature
The "Sweet Route" Platform: Your Candy-Powered Co-Pilot
Introduction: Taking the “Sweeter Route”
The “Summer 2026 Road Trip” campaign aims to connect Mars Wrigley candy brands (Skittles, Starburst, Life Savers) with the quintessential summer experience of a road trip. The core idea, “Take The Sweeter Route,” emphasizes that the journey, filled with joyful moments and shared experiences, is as important as the destination. The “Sweet Route” platform is the dynamic digital engine designed to bring this concept to life, transforming road trips into engaging, rewarding, and candy-fueled adventures.
Sweet Route is an integrated web-based platform and AI assistant (“Sweet Scout”) that functions as a gamified road trip planner and rewards hub. It’s designed to be:
- Fun & Engaging: Making trip planning and on-road discovery exciting.
- Helpful & Intuitive: Providing genuine utility for road-trippers.
- Brand-Centric: Seamlessly integrating Mars Wrigley products as the “snack of shared experiences” and the key to unlocking rewards.
Core Mission: To help users earn “mileage points” by discovering fun places, completing challenges, and purchasing Mars Wrigley candy, all while enjoying a more memorable road trip.
Key Platform Features & The User Journey:
The Sweet Route platform guides users through a seamless journey of planning, playing, and earning:
AI Trip Planning with “Sweet Scout”:
- Users initiate trip planning by providing destinations or simply expressing a desire for adventure.
- “Sweet Scout,” the friendly AI co-pilot (voice: short, upbeat, light humor, zero jargon), crafts or adjusts routes, populating them with 10+ fresh checkpoints. These include landmarks, scenic spots, quirky attractions, and, crucially, “Sweet Stops” where Mars candy can be purchased.
- Signature Line: “Next stop, more sweet miles!”
- On-the-Go Discovery & Recommendations:
- Landmark Finder: Identifies historic sites, parks, monuments, and “World’s Biggest ___” attractions.
- Store Locator: Pinpoints gas stations, grocers, and convenience stores stocking Skittles, Starburst, or Life Savers.
- Photo-Stop Coach: Suggests scenic pull-offs and unique spots for the image-based scavenger hunt, offering framing tips and prompting uploads.
- Gamified Engagement & Rewards:
- Mileage Engine: Users earn “mileage points” by uploading receipts of Mars Wrigley candy purchases and completing scavenger hunt challenges. Points are tracked on an in-game dashboard.
- Bonus Beacon: Flags high-value opportunities (quizzes, AR drops, unique selfie challenges) as users approach specific locations.
- Trivia Spark: Offers quick, location-tied quizzes for bonus miles.
- Candy Cache Alert: Notifies users of limited-time candy flavors or deals at nearby retailers.
- Rewards: Miles can be redeemed for prizes (e.g., gift cards for partners like Airbnb, Uber Eats, Visa, Ticketmaster) and contribute to grand prize sweepstakes entries.
Executing and Elevating Campaign Goals:
The “Sweet Route” platform directly supports and amplifies the “Summer 2026 Road Trip” campaign objectives:
- Drives Purchase & Frequency: Directly incentivizes the purchase of Mars Wrigley products by linking them to tangible rewards and game progression.
- Enhances Brand Connection: Positions Skittles, Starburst, and Life Savers as essential companions for joyful summer road trip moments.
- Engages Target Audiences: Appeals to “Gatekeepers” (families) with its utility and value, and to “Gen Z” with its gamification, instant rewards, and shareable content potential.
- Brings the Campaign Idea to Life: Actively encourages users to “Take The Sweeter Route” by making detours fun, easy, and rewarding.
- Provides Measurable ROI: Tracks key performance indicators such as checkpoint completions, receipt uploads (correlating to sales), engagement rates with challenges, and overall platform usage.
Success Metrics:
- Checkpoints completed per user.
- Codes/challenges redeemed from checkpoint alerts.
- Incremental Mars product units linked to route suggestions and receipt uploads.
- Quiz answer rates and photo upload rates for scavenger hunt.
- User acquisition and retention on the platform.
Lasting Impace:
The “Sweet Route” platform is more than a utility; it’s an experience. It turns every mile—real or virtual—into a milestone, making Mars Wrigley an indispensable part of creating lasting summer memories, one sweet stop at a time.
Example User Inputs & Sweet Scout Outputs:
Scenario 1: Planning a Trip
- User: “Plan a one-day road trip from Denver, CO, heading towards the mountains.”
- Sweet Scout: “Adventure awaits in the Rockies! How about a scenic loop towards Estes Park? I’ve found 10 sweet checkpoints including a quirky roadside dinosaur, a beautiful lake for a Starburst break, and a candy store in Estes Park famous for its fudge (and Life Savers!). Ready to see the route?”
- User Options: “[Show Me The Route!]” / “[Suggest Something Else]”
- User: “What’s a fun day trip from Chicago for families?”
- Sweet Scout: “Sweet! How about heading to the Indiana Dunes National Park? Amazing beaches! I can map out some kid-friendly trails, a classic ice cream (and Skittles!) stop on the way, and a ‘World’s Largest Popcorn Ball’ nearby for a silly photo op. Sound good for a family adventure?”
- User Options: “[Sounds Great!]” / “[Any other ideas?]”
Scenario 2: On-the-Go & Candy Focus
- User: “I’m near Exit 75 on I-90. Anywhere to buy Skittles?”
- Sweet Scout: “Skittles craving alert! ‘Traveler’s Rest Stop’ at Exit 75 has a big candy aisle. They usually have Share Size bags! Upload your receipt for 75 miles. Navigate there?”
- User Options: “[Yes, Navigate!]” / “[What about Starburst?]”
- User: “Need gas and a quick snack.”
- Sweet Scout: “‘Quick Fuel’ is 2 miles ahead. They’ve got good gas prices and I hear their Life Savers Gummies selection is top-notch. Perfect combo for 100 miles with a receipt! Want directions?”
- User Options: “[Let’s Go!]” / “[Any other gas stations?]”
Scenario 3: Looking for Fun Stops / Scavenger Hunt
- User: “Sweet Scout, find me a weird roadside attraction!”
- Sweet Scout: “Get ready for quirky! ‘Gnorman the Giant Garden Gnome’ is just 15 miles off your route. A classic photo op! Snap a selfie with Gnorman and your favorite Mars treat for 60 miles. Wanna detour?”
- User Options: “[Yes, Gnome Time!]” / “[What else is weird around here?]”
- User: “Where’s a good photo spot coming up?”
- Sweet Scout: “Ooh, ‘Sunset Ridge Overlook’ is about 10 miles ahead. Perfect for a golden hour shot! Imagine that view with a colorful bag of Skittles. Want to add it as a stop for 50 miles?”
- User Options: “[Add to Route]” / “[Any closer spots?]”
Scenario 4: Gamified Interactions
- (System Push as user approaches a landmark):
- Sweet Scout: “Heads up! You’re 1 mile from the ‘Historic Millersburg Bridge.’ Trivia time for 40 miles: What year was it originally built? (A) 1898 (B) 1925. Tap your answer!”
- (After user uploads a photo for a challenge):
- Sweet Scout: “Sweet shot! That’s 70 miles added to your stash. You’re a natural! Next stop, more sweet miles!”
- (User asks about progress):
- User: “How many miles do I have, Scout?”
- Sweet Scout: “You’re cruising with 850 sweet miles! Just 150 more to unlock that $10 Uber Eats voucher. Keep those candy stops coming!”
These examples illustrate how Sweet Scout maintains its persona while providing helpful, on-brand, and engaging interactions, all driving towards the campaign’s objectives.
Key Program Features
Benefits to Consumers
Gamified Challenges
Incentivize everyday actions—like reading an article, scanning a receipt, or posting on social media—so customers stay engaged and come back for more.
Makes Road Trips More Fun & Discoverable
Consumers love road trips for the spontaneity and discovery, but planning can be a chore, and it's easy to miss hidden gems. "Sweet Route" and "Sweet Scout" act as a personal, fun-loving tour guide. It takes the guesswork out of finding unique roadside attractions, beautiful photo ops, and even just a reliable place for snacks. It injects an element of playful adventure and delightful surprise into their journey, making the trip itself more engaging and memorable without them having to do extensive research. They get curated fun, effortlessly.
Real Rewards Everywhere
From fun digital badges to time-limited coupons on products, Perk’s reward structure makes every interaction worthwhile.
Benefits to Mars
Key Competitive Advantage
No other platform brings together customers, purchase data, and rewards tracking all in one place. By harnessing Perk’s loyalty engine, Your campaign will stand out with an integrated experience that builds brand affinity and fosters deeper customer relationships.
Better Engagement
Sweet Route doesn’t just reward road-trippers—it becomes part of the trip, turning snack runs into mile-racking adventures that supercharge Mars’ summer sales and fuel a mountain of first-party insights.
Gamification
By infusing receipts, challenges, and donation goals with playful gamification elements, Perk keeps customers coming back for more. Friendly competitions, tiered rewards, and achievement badges transform simple transactions into interactive fun.
By leveraging Perk’s centralized, admin-friendly platform, your team gains the agility to continually evolve the Summer Road Trip program —without constant technical overhead.
Simplified Program Management
With Perk’s intuitive admin suite, your team can instantly launch new challenges, tweak rewards, or update detour campaigns. No more waiting on complex development cycles—enabling rapid experimentation and timely promotions.
Dynamic Content & Rewards Control
Easily manage real-time adjustments to content, marketing messages, and reward structures. Whether running limited-time offers or adjusting point thresholds, every update remains under your direct control—ensuring maximum impact and responsiveness.
Enhanced User Engagement Tools
Incorporate quizzes, polls, receipt scanning, and social integrations—all from a single backend. You can proactively plan and schedule campaigns that captivate users, drive repeat participation, and yield tangible, measurable results.
Scalable, Cost-Effective Growth
As new products, partners, or initiatives arise, we can deploy them within Perk’s existing infrastructure—saving time and budget. This scalable approach empowers you to roll out high-impact changes fast, seamlessly supporting your campaigns goals.
With Perk’s robust platform, you gain the flexibility, speed, and control needed to shape an ever-evolving loyalty experience—and amplify results for Mars and its passionate customers and fans.
Do it Smarter
Consolidated Infrastructure
Stop juggling multiple software solutions. Perk combines content delivery, user management, reward fulfillment, analytics, and more under one intuitive umbrella. Plus, our cloud-based platform scales seamlessly as your community grows—no extra steps required. From day one of the switch, your entire loyalty experience runs on a platform that has already delivered success for Mars, minimizing risk while accelerating results.
Instant Gratification
Automated Content and Rewards
Experience effortless engagement on our platform, where automated social media feeds, tailored incentives and rewards are seamlessly delivered to customers based on their actions and accomplishments. Our system eliminates manual content creation, and reward fulfillment, ensuring instant gratification that fuels desired behaviors and cultivates customer loyalty.
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Beyond Technology
Our dedicated team doesn’t just deploy Perk’s technology—we help you handle everything necessary for success. By blending strategic insights with 15 years of loyalty and marketing expertise, we ensure every aspect of your loyalty program runs smoothly and scales effortlessly.
Develop Custom Activities
Help Deploy Your Campaign & Reward Experiences
Manage Deployment for New Markets & Teams
Provide Dedicated Loyalty Customer Care
Craft Engagement & Purchase Strategies
Optimize UI/UX for Continuous Improvement
Execute Multi-Channel Loyalty Experience
Deploy Your Program Content & Refreshes
Optimize Communications
Ensure Compliance
Manage Sweepstakes
Find New Perks
Manage Reporting
Fullfil Rewards
Personalized promotions
Deploy Design Updates
Improve Engagement
Hone Strategy
Manage Users
Evolve Platform
Make Road Trips Sweet
Review Receipts
Unified Experience
Automated Rewards
Increase Retention
Drive More Purchases
Turn-Key Team
Our team manages every aspect of your GoodPoints program—from building dynamic challenges to deploying targeted marketing, executing day-to-day management, and ensuring seamless reward fulfillment—so you can stay focused on brand growth and making a real impact.
Development 👩💻Receipt Review 🧾Management 👨💼User Support 👋Strategy 💡Content Changes ✏️Design Updates 🎨Reward Management 🎁
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