7-Eleven Clue Hunts With Sherlock Holmes

DALLAS -- 7-Eleven convenience store customers and Web site visitors will get the chance to play detective beginning Nov. 16, as the retailer launches an end-of-year fresh foods and beverage promotion revolving around the Dec. 25 release of Warner Bros. Pictures' Sherlock Holmes.

Characters from the film -- Sherlock Holmes and Dr. John Watson (played by Robert Downey Jr. and Jude Law, respectively) -- will appear in 7-Eleven stores through window banners and point-of-purchase (POP) signage, including at the grill, hot beverage bar, sales counter and fuel pumps, according to 7-Eleven. The signage will promote the movie and 7-Eleven products, such as Big Bite Oscar Mayer all-beef hot dogs, Go-Go Taquitos, breakfast sandwiches and coffee, the company stated.

Tag lines to promote the campaign's two-for-$2 Big Bite hot dogs; 99-cent Go-Go Taquitos; new Sausage, Egg & Cheese Breakfast Sandwiches; and discounts on coffee refills include: "Hunger Solved," "Killer Duo," "It's No Mystery," "Grab Our Killer Deal" and "Get a Clue."

"Sherlock Holmes has already garnered a significant amount of positive buzz and promises to be a hit this holiday season," Rita Bargerhuff, 7-Eleven vice president and chief marketing officer, said in a statement. "While consumers are already seeing Warner Bros. Pictures' marketing campaign for the film, 7-Eleven customers will get a peek at the Holmes and Watson characters on in-store signage with clever phrases promoting value-oriented offerings, like quality fresh food and coffee."

In addition, visitors to an online, viral challenge can be amateur detectives and play as either of the characters –Holmes or Watson -- on www.221B.sh, as part of the movie's advance teaser campaign. The Web address reflects Holmes' London address of 221B Baker Street, according to the company.

The online challenge reveals clues leading up to the movie's opening scene, and provides a glimpse into the 7-Eleven promotional partnership with Warner Bros. Pictures. One piece of evidence is a vintage newspaper with a front page ad for "Joe C. Thompson's Coffee Emporium -- Open from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m.," which is a play on Joe C. Thompson Jr., the founder of The Southland Ice Co., precursor to the 7-Eleven convenience store chain.

And 7-Eleven coffee drinkers can get a head start to the challenge with co-branded "How Holmes Are You?" coffee cup sleeves that contain a clue and the Web address www.7-11.221B.sh, which is a 7-Eleven 221B microsite home to a fingerprint matching game, where players can earn an exclusive clue to help them solve the mystery within the main 221B experience, 7-Eleven stated.

7-Eleven agency of record FreshWorks, a consortium of Omnicom advertising and marketing companies, worked on the campaign for the retailer.

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