Advertainment is a relatively new form of advertising medium that blurs conventional distinctions between what constitutes advertising and what constitutes entertainment. Branded content is essentially a fusion of the two into one product intended to be distributed as entertainment content, albeit with a highly branded quality.

Frucor’s V Energy Drinks has been enjoying considerable success over the past three years with their V republic platform. V Energy latest Interactive, branded content campaign EVOLUTION is sure to capture the imagination of V lovers all over New Zealand as they are taken on a journey that will challenge the mind and engage the senses.

It is the year 2035 and the Earth is dying, losing energy at an alarming rate. One man, a scientist, discovers a distant planet that could hold the key to saving our world. To get there, he must make his way through weird and wonderful worlds as he evolves from a human to a being of pure energy. See trailer below

After being captured by the Collective (a powerful force subverting the minds of innocent people), a scientist is transformed into an energy force when a piece of the crystal is combined with the energy of V. He escapes the Collective into a strange Liquid World where he must solve a series of puzzles in order to evolve into the next world and continue his quest to save Planet Earth.

Consisting of three very different worlds – Liquid, Mechanical and Space – the ultimate goal of V EVOLUTION is to reach the planet that holds a crystal that is capable of restoring Earth’s energy. And as well as restoring order in the virtual world, there are fantastic prizes to be won as players take the EVOLUTION journey to save the planet.

In the Liquid World, players explore a series of caves unlocking symbols that power up a giant mechanical fish. Once the fish has risen to the surface, players progress to the Mechanical World where they must solve analytical puzzles to gain energy. With the right code in the final puzzle, a rocket is launched into the final world, Space. This vast, curious world is full of alien life forms and planets that are out of balance. Players must find the key to each planet and release the crystals needed to send the powerful new form of energy back to earth.

“Evolution is a game that will completely immerse players into a unique and extraordinary V world and give them something to do with all that energy by challenging them mentally,” says Aaron Turk, Digital Creative Director – Colenso BBDO.“V Energy is developing some of the most interesting and innovative digital work and pushing the online gaming boundaries while delivering a brand experience. Not all gaming is about shooting to kill; I think people will find this incredibly addictive with a desire to make it to the end.”

By completing each world, players go in the draw to win some incredible prizes; – Liquid World – A year’s supply of V and a Sony Vaio laptop – Mechanical World – A 2003 Mazda Tricked Out RX8 – Space World – A trip for two to the Nasa Space Centre in Houston, Texas (Space World). Plus all players go in the draw to win daily prizes including iPhones, Playstation 3’s, Cheapskates prize packs, iTunes vouchers, Fujifilm digital cameras, V and much more.