Panasonic Turns TV Mystery Into Sweeps

Panasonic Consumer Electronics Co. is using an online sweeps to extend a mystery that began in a TV spot last spring.

The spot, for Panasonic's HD Plasma TV, shows a handful of different scenes while asking, "What is the color of innocence?" (And bravado, passion and defiance—that one is a beautiful woman at a funeral in a red dress.) It's part of Panasonic's "Ideas for Life" campaign; two other spots tout digital cameras and DVD recorders.

The Color of Mystery sweeps gives a back-story to the red-dress woman, a priest and grieving widow from the TV spot, then asks consumers to solve the mystery. Those who do get a coupon for 10% off an online purchase at Panasonic Direct. Layers of clues showcase Panasonic cameras, DVD players and TVs.

Viewers click their way through layers of clues

Site visitors enter the sweeps separately for a shot at the grand-prize trip to Switzerland, $5,000 in a Swiss bank account, and $5,000 in Panasonic equipment. Ads at TVguide.com, Gamespot.com, and Sportsillustrated.com drive viewers to the site. Renegade Marketing Group, New York, handles.

"The TV campaign from Grey was beautiful and mysterious, and prompted a lot of viewer questions," said Panasonic VP-General Manager Gene Kelsey in a statement. "People really enjoyed the commercials and wanted to know more, but instead of simply posting the commercials online, we saw an opportunity to extend the campaign by involving viewers in an interactive experience that they direct and control."

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