This whacky pink game show is actually an ad for Mountain Dew's new drink flavour

Mountain Dew has partnered with VaynerMedia to celebrate the launch of its new ‘Major Melon’ flavour with a self-declared over-the-top game show inspired by the hyper-stimulatory sensation that is a taste of the new watermelon-flavoured drink.

Taking cues from the likes of shows such as Wipeout and Takeshi’s Castle, on Major Melon’s Mayhem Mountain, viewers will see a myriad of exciting challenges. These include the Watermelon Ski, where contestants, including Dom Littrich of Inspired Unemployed, attempt to slide as far as they can down the very slippery, watermelon-scattered, pink-tarped runway.

Another activity viewers will get to enjoy is the Hill Dash, where participants will race across a steep slippery hill while being pelted by inflatable watermelons. Narrated by a host, each content piece will feature challenges broadcast as takes from the show, featuring influencers taking on various extreme challenges

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Built on the insight that Mountain Dew’s Gen Z audience is continuously searching for newer, faster, hyper-stimulatory highs and challenges both in-feed and IRL, VaynerMedia eschewed the traditional product launch campaign to develop Mayhem Mountain as a content-first play created with social audiences in mind.

“We know Dew fans have been waiting a long time for a new flavour, so we wanted to make a real splash in letting them know Major Melon is finally here,” said Vandita Pandey ANZ CMO at PepsiCo. "Mayhem Mountain is just such a fun and relevant way to bring the new flavour to life, I am confident the legions of Aussie Dew fans out there will love it as much as we do."

“A drink and brand persona as out there as Major Melon warranted a campaign that ratcheted up the intensity,” said Yash Murthy, head of creative and consulting at VaynerMedia Australia. “Mayhem Mountain was the perfect vehicle to showcase this, allowing us to build equity in the Major Melon character whilst tapping into the extreme stunts, challenges and fail comps we know our audience cohorts love. Plus it was just a lot of fun to make.”

The campaign hero film launched this week and Major Melon continues to unleash neon pink mayhem across social media channels including TikTok, Snapchat, Meta and YouTube.

Game show-based campaigns are certainly wild undertakings but they are increasing in popularity with marketers and brands. Last year, Netflix unveiled that it will bring its Korean original series Squid Game to life through a reality show.

Titled Squid Game: The Challenge, Netflix said that this will be "the biggest reality competition series ever", with the "largest cast and lump sum cash prize", said Netflix. The game show will feature 456 real players vying for a US$4.56 million prize. 

The show, which will be filmed in the UK, will see players compete through a series of games inspired by the original show, along with new additions, over 10 episodes. Netflix has already kicked off its search for players as well with the launch of a microsite for English-speaking players. 

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