Mountain Dew Launches Voltage Kick-Off Event Contest

The winner of the DEWmocracy Mountain Dew contest has already been crowned and Voltage took the top spot over Supernova and Revolution. To usher in the new flavor, they're holding a contest at DEWmocracyVoltage.com to allow people to submit their own ideas with accompanying images or video on the best way to introduce the new flavor to the masses. The winner will win a trip for two to see the kick-off event live while two runner-ups will win a year's supply of Mountain Dew. The contest runs until October 14th, and a panel of judges will grade submissions based on originality, creativity, and relevancy to the Mountain Dew brand. The chosen kick-off event will take place when Voltage officially hits the market between December 2008 and January 2009. While all of this fanfare surrounding the product launch sounds like a little much, it's a great way to maintain excitement about the brand and elevate Voltage above their numerous limited edition flavors.

Dolly B's idea includes a New Year's style party in Times Square with a Voltage bottle taking place of the ball and AC/DC performing "High Voltage" as the theme song.

The contest officially launched on September 17th, but I have seen very little promotion or hype about it. Since voting ended, it seems like they haven't done much press to announce Voltage's win and upcoming introduction to market. The idea of allowing consumers to pick the kick-off event is fun, but ideas thus far either sound a little weak or very generic. Given the image and background of Mountain Dew, the winner will most likely include some sort of huge launch party with live bands, extreme sports, and celebrity endorsements. Browsing through the submissions, the list was fairly short. While there were a handful of "featured" ideas, there were hardly any others to be found. Browsing by state had very little to offer, but the contest only did just start. Although video submissions are encouraged, many of the ideas simply show a picture with their idea. Hopefully the volume of ideas increases before the contest ends.

When Mountain Dew originally announced a forthcoming contest to help introduce Voltage to the people, I was expecting it be more than a simple picture/video submission with description. I like that the contest is open-ended, which leaves much potential without restriction. The lack of promotion is a little worrying, with only a small volume of submissions viewable on the site more than a week after launching. But with two weeks still left to go, there's still plenty of time for fun and unique kick-off event ideas.

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Mountain Dew Voltage Officially Declared Winner

For anyone who saw the standings before voting closed, the winner should come as no surprise. Since the polls closed July 31st, it was inevitable that Mountain Dew Voltage would take the win as the next official flavor. Described as having a raspberry citrus flavor with ginseng, it definitely had the strongest Dew impression, if not my favorite flavor. Mountain Dew Revolution simply tasted like a weaker berry-flavored version, which paled in comparison and didn't really have a strong taste. Mountain Dew Supernova had an okay strawberry flavor, but it felt more like a generic soda rather than a Dew brand. I was slightly disappointed with all three drinks, but the best one did win in the end. Read my full thoughts here.

In order to continue the momentum of Pepsi's successful marketing campaign, they were originally going to announce a new contest to allow consumers to decide how the new flavor was going to be "introduced to the people". It looks like they delayed this event until next month, which is a bit of a let down. Hopefully this new kick-off event will actually solidify Voltage's place in the Mountain Dew line rather than being seen as another random limited edition flavor. That most likely means that it won't be seen in stores until this new contest is decided, which is unfortunate. Perhaps the anticipation will build up even more excitement. There isn't much left to do at DEWmocracy, but the forums are open and you can still create a Voltage ad with their video maker. I still can't help but be disappointed by the lack of at least an announcement to get people excited or interested.

For better or worse, Mountain Dew Voltage will stand alongside the original flavor, Code Red, LiveWire, and Baja Blast as the official line of active brands. Pepsi did a great job of allowing the consumers to decide their next flavor, as previous attempts either tasted mediocre or felt too gimmicky. While they possibly could have done better, Voltage isn't a bad soda and it should be interesting to see where they take things from here.

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Mountain Dew Voting Is Over

After much deliberation and campaigning, the voting booths have officially closed at DEWmocracy.com and a winner has decided. The polls were pretty lopsided to begin with, as Voltage had a commanding lead in every state. Whether this speaks for the poor quality of Supernova and Revolution or some crazy conspiracy theory, the announcement of the winner on August 18th is going to be pretty obvious. While I personally felt that all three were mediocre, Voltage had the strongest Dew flavor. They have been hit-and-miss in their "limited edition" flavors, with only LiveWire becoming an official part of the line after a string of limited summer releases.

Mountain Dew Voltage had dominated the polls when voting began in June 2008.

Although voting has closed, their Video Maker is still up and improved. The tool allows you to create your own 20 second video via preset visual effects, video clips, images, and audio tracks, which you can then send to friends or make a new one. While it is a bit shallow, they've added a few new items to use and it is a little fun to mess around and create your own Mountain Dew ad. And with the success of their DEWmocracy campaign, they're going to announce a new contest soon to decide how the winning flavor is going to be "introduced" to the people. It's a nice change to allow the consumers to have such a hands-on role in product testing and marketing, but it feels like a bit of a gimmick. But regardless, this has been a great way to revitalize interest in the brand as well as stimulate sales.

Unless there's a major upset with some lost votes or ballots, the winner has been pretty much decided. Hosting a new contest is a good way to continue the momentum and show that Voltage isn't just another limited edition flavor that will be gone in a couple of months. The official message board is still open, so you can still predict your winner and get a head start on that marketing contest. Expect more once the winner is announced and details are unveiled.

UPDATE: The polls are in and a winner has been declared. Read more about it here.

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Mountain Dew Campaign, Voting Begins

Just as one campaign is ending, another one begins. While Illinois Sen. Barack Obama has officially clinched the Democratic presidential nomination today, Mountain Dew has officially started their campaign and voting for the next Mountain Dew flavor. With online forums, various campaign tools, and a "Recruiter" ranking system, this special summer election looks to heat up quickly.

The actual Mountain Dew coloring for all three flavors are much darker and bolder.

After registering at DEWmocracy.com, you're allowed to vote once per day, recruit friends to vote and gain "Recruiter" points, and post in the online forums. Voting ends on July 31st, so there is still plenty of time to have your voice heard. Campaign tools include e-mail templates, online posters, and more for each flavor. Although voting has only just begun, the majority of states show Voltage in the lead with 40% or more of the votes. The standings between Supernova and Revolution are much closer, although states such as Connecticut and Hawaii show a much closer race for the top spot.

Rather than a single vote system, the multiple voting process allows you to change your mind if your opinions change throughout the summer. All three flavors should now be available in stores everywhere, so make sure you try them out and post your thoughts at DEWmocracy.com and here as well.

UPDATE: The polls are in and a winner has been declared. Read more about it here.

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Vote For The Next Dew

In case you haven’t been keeping up on the latest news about Pepsi’s Mountain Dew soda, they have been looking for the next big flavor. After special tie-ins with Halo 3 to create Game Fuel, one of the latest marketing plans was an expansive online experience that allowed consumers to create the next big Mountain Dew flavor. As the dust settled, the three finalists will be officially sold in June and people can vote and campaign for their favorite flavor. They have been hit-and-miss with their other Dew brands, as Code Red, LiveWire, and Baja Blast are the only ones that remained a permanent staple. LiveWire was formerly a limited edition summer flavor before they permanently added it a couple years ago, and Baja Blast is currently exclusive to Taco Bell restaurants. While Pepsi is really pushing the marketing at DEWmocracy.com, let’s take a look at how each flavor stacks up.

The first flavor is called Revolution, ‘Dew infused with wild berry fruit flavor and ginseng’. It pretty much tastes the way it looks. The color is actually more of a light shade of blue, but that doesn’t help the supposed berry taste. Mountain Dew is known for its signature flavor, and Revolution simply doesn’t have it. It tastes like a generic caffeinated soda with no real outstanding flavors. It is reminiscent of your average energy drink flavor but without the extra kick or caffeine that is associated with it. This was the first one I tried, and I couldn’t help but be disappointed.

Voltage was next, which is described as ‘Dew charged with raspberry citrus flavor and ginseng’. The color is a darker shade of blue, which is a good indicator of the flavor. You could actually taste the berry, unlike Revolution. I am not a big fan of raspberries or their flavor, but this wasn’t bad. You could probably call it “Code Blue” and the name wouldn’t be completely out of place. The flavor isn’t overwhelming, but enough to give it a unique taste. I was impressed with Voltage more than Revolution, but it still didn’t leave a strong enough impression to necessarily warrant this as the next Mountain Dew flavor.

I saved Supernova for last, as I had the highest hopes for this one. Called ‘Dew with a blast of strawberry melon flavor and ginseng’, it seemed like the best of the bunch. With a pinkish-red color, it sounded like you couldn’t really go wrong with strawberry. The closest comparison I could make to this is a weaker version of Strawberry Fanta. It somewhat kept its Mountain Dew flavor, but it didn’t really stand out to me. The taste wasn’t bad, but it wasn’t extraordinary, either. After being a little disappointed with the first two, perhaps I set my hopes too high. Or it might be because I’m slightly partial to strawberry flavor. Either way, it didn’t really give me a strong desire to vote and campaign, either.

Overall, all three could have been better. I expected more, especially since the consumers supposedly had a more hands-on role in creating them. If I had to pick one, it would be close between Voltage and Supernova. While I think Voltage had the better overall Mountain Dew flavor, Supenova’s less Dew-like strawberry flavor has me on the fence. They should at least be tried, so you can take on your consumerist duty and vote. While they aren’t supposed to be available until June, I have seen them on sale at Wal-Mart at only 2 for $1. If you try them, be sure to leave your opinions here and tell me what you think.

UPDATE: The polls are in and a winner has been declared. Read more about it here.

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