Go Forth on a Levi's Scavenger Hunt

Yesterday Levi Strauss & Company launched a venue for destiny-seekers to heed the brand's call to "Go Forth."

The venue is the new Levi's scavenger hunt game, Go Forth, which leads players on a search for $100,000 in buried treasure belonging to the late Grayson Ozias IV. Grayson Ozias IV (G.O. Fourth - get it?) was a friend of Nathan Strauss (nephew of Levi Strauss), and disappeared in 1896, after leaving behind a series of wax cylinders upon which are recorded clues that lead to the treasure. Levi's will release these clues over a seven-week period; players visit levis.com/goforth to read the clues, deduce the cities to which they point, and discover the treasure.

While Grayson Ozias IV may be fictitious, the $100,000 treasure is not. The first player to solve the puzzle will win $100,000, and may vote for a U.S. nonprofit to receive $100,000 as well.

With the "Go Forth" game, Levi Strauss & Company and their ad agency Wieden + Kennedy are creating a fun blend of alternate reality and social media. The site, in addition to providing the game clues, also features a comments board and the @GraysonOziasIV Twitter feed. And according to MediaPost's Marketing Daily, Levi's is also promoting the game through its Facebook fan page, Twitter, ESPN Magazine, and online ads.

Bravo for Levi's and their foray into role-playing games. They are providing a free venue for customers (and potential customers) to interact with their brand and with each other, while promoting the spirit of 19th-century American pioneering upon which the company was founded. Creating positive brand experiences and allowing people to build relationships sound like great ways to sell jeans.