Xbox hunters ransack Singapore

SINGAPORE: Singaporeans virtually ransacked the city in search of five hidden Microsoft Xbox 360s -- safely sitting in front of their computer screens.

The Microsoft competition pitted fans against each other in a live, webcam-enabled hunt, via a website created by local shop Kilo Studio, www.whereismy360.com.sg.

Clicking into the microsite led contestants to a virtual control room, where they could search the streets through pre-embedded webcams. "By utilising these webcams, the site appealed to the voyeuristic nature of human beings," said Benjy Choo, founder, Kilo Studio.

The site also included a chat forum for contestants to virtually 'see' each other and discuss probable locations.

"The chatbox became an interesting strategic tool. Some visitors used it to talk about clues, while others used it to get into the heads of fellow console hunters," Choo said. "Being a first in Singapore, the unique concept heightened interest in the product as well as the site. The viral nature of the web also enabled easy spreading of the URL."
The campaign kicked off with radio announcements to drive consumers to the website.

"Radio was a key media for the campaign. It directed much-needed initial traffic to boost the site's traffic. Also, radio was the easiest, low-cost method to explain the concept of the console hunt quickly to mass media," Choo said.  

Though the campaign had been slated to run for two weeks, all five Xbox units were found within the first three days.