To promote its new Full Throttle Frozen Blast Slurpee® drink this May, 7-Eleven, Inc. has partnered with Coca-Cola, Activision, Inc. and Microsoft Corp. in a marketing and public relations blitz designed to reach music-loving, videogame-playing, techno-savvy, 18- to 34-year-old males.

Online and radio contests, grassroots events and traveling street teams will call attention to 7-Eleven’s promotion of Activision’s highly anticipated Guitar Hero: Aerosmith. The Guitar Hero videogame franchise has sold more than 14 million games worldwide since its introduction in 2005.

In an online contest at www.slurpee.com, visitors can enter codes found on specially marked 22-ounce Guitar Hero-branded Slurpee cups for a chance to win a copy of the new Guitar Hero: Aerosmith videogame, Xbox 360® videogame and entertainment system from Microsoft, or Microsoft Points to purchase content from Xbox LIVE® Marketplace. One copy of the new Guitar Hero: Aerosmith game will be awarded every hour throughout the month of May, for a total of 744 games. In addition, 10 lucky winners each will receive a prize package that includes an Xbox 360 console along with a copy of Guitar Hero: Aerosmith. Finally, more than 711,000 Microsoft Points will be awarded.

“The sweet spot of the core Slurpee customer is between 18 and 24 years old,” said Jay Wilkins, brand manager for Slurpee and Big Gulp® beverages. “Our goal is to keep Slurpee as cool today as it was to teens and young adults in the 1960s when it was first introduced.”

Today, that means partnering with hit movies, videogames, popular music and extreme sports … and reaching out to teens and young adults where they are – online and on the street. To that end, 7-Eleven has planned some non-traditional approaches to this month’s promotion in addition to unconventional advertising:

• Getting Ripped – Giant tear-off pads of posters featuring art from Guitar Hero and Full Throttle Frozen Blast Slurpee will be posted at 484 outdoor locations near schools, transit stations, theaters, skate parks, beaches, etc., in eight major metropolitan areas.¹ (See below for participating markets.)
• Mobile Screens – Media vans, each with a 6- by 12-foot video screen, will visit select 7-Eleven stores where visitors can play a version of Guitar Hero live.
• Pickin’ Slurpee – More than 10,000 custom guitar picks printed with Full Throttle Frozen Blast on one side and the slurpee.com website address on the other will be distributed at special events.
• Hot off the Press – College students still read newspapers – their own. Full-color ads including Slurpee coupons will run in 21 college and university newspapers in 7-Eleven major markets.² (See below for participating markets.)
• Slurpee Nation – A revamped Slurpee website is the hub of all the activities, including featured contests, Slurpee trivia games and the 4-1-1 on upcoming special events.

“Every month this summer – every week even – something new will be buzzing around Slurpee,” Wilkins said. “Stay tuned. Slurpee is ready to rock!”