Mountain Dew has taken an alternative approach to drive awareness of its two newest flavours, turning discovery into a game with its ‘Mountain Dew Flavour Hunt’ activation created by brand experience agency Curious Nation.
Developed in partnership with 7-Eleven and Finders Keepers Australia, the activation brought to life the launch of two new flavors, Blue Razz Blitz and Typhoon, through a series of real-world, social-first treasure hunts designed to drive foot traffic, engagement and cultural relevance.
Research shows 41% of Gen Z say they are ready to try new snack or drink flavors immediately upon release, the highest of any generation. The Flavor Hunt is a movement for people who chase bold taste, transforming Mountain Dew launches into flavor quests.
The first Mountain Dew Flavour Hunt, which introduced Mountain Dew Blue Razz Blitz, saw participants follow teaser clues on social media to track down a hidden $700 cash prize at a Melbourne 7-Eleven location. The latest activation for Mountain Dew Typhoon expanded the concept, sending participants across three Melbourne-based stores in a city-wide hunt for a total of $2,100 in cash.
By tapping into the growing popularity of social-led hunt formats, the campaign encouraged Gen Z audiences to move from online engagement into physical retail environments, positioning 7-Eleven as a destination for discovery, while creating highly shareable moments.
The initial hunt delivered strong organic performance, with the Mountain Dew Blue Razz Blitz activation generating more than 2.6 million views and over 13,000 engagements, while the Typhoon hunt has already surpassed one million views.
The Flavor Hunt platform drove awareness of the new Mountain Dew flavours, encouraged sampling and leveraged the excitement to seek and find new experiences that linked back to 7-Eleven stores.
Jess Smyth, Customer and Shopper Marketing Manager at Asahi Beverages, said: “We wanted to create genuine excitement around these new flavor launches and give people a reason to seek them out in-store. The Flavour Hunt concept allowed us to connect cultural behavior with retail in a way that felt natural and engaging.”
Gareth Brock, co-founder and head of strategy at Curious Nation, said: “We were excited to work with Mountain Dew to bring this campaign to life. Instead of treating the flavor launch like a broadcast moment, we treated it like a discovery mechanic. Gen Z audiences are already conditioned by social-first hunt formats that reward speed, curiosity and participation. So rather than interrupting behavior, we built around one that already existed.
“Retail launches often feel manufactured. The hype is announced before it is earned. This campaign flipped that dynamic by turning the product release into something people could participate in physically and socially at the same time. The result was not just awareness, but action, driving audiences from content directly into store.”
