Bayer Diabetes Care partnered with Nintendo on a glucose meter for kids that incorporates gaming.
Bayer’s Didget meter plugs into the Nintendo DS and Nintendo DS Lite handheld gaming systems, where kids can use points earned by consistent testing on unlocking levels in a game called Knock ‘Em Downs: World’s Fair.
The meter, aimed at kids ages 4-14, will also connect to Bayer’s password protected web community bayerdidget.com.
An extension of Bayer’s Contour line of meters, it launched in the UK last summer and will retail in drug stores for a manufacturer-suggested price of $74.99.
The company is keeping quiet about its advertising plans—a spokeswoman would allow only that: “We do have a robust promotional program planned.”
Bayer, which recently consolidated its healthcare advertising into Omnicom and WPP, uses BBDO for consumer advertising and Cline, Davis & Mann for professional.
Contour USB meter user and Bayer diabetes “ambassador” Nick Jonas is, at 17, too old for the device, but was quoted in a release plugging the Didget as a “cool and fun way” for kids to test their blood sugar, and noting that it “uses the same test strips as the Contour meter, the strips I rely on every day.”
Bayer featured Jonas in last year’s “Simple Wins” contest, which invited kids with diabetes to submit their 15-30-second videos giving tips for managing diabetes. He’s back again this year for a simplified “Give Back. Simple Wins” effort.
This year, entrants just submit answers to three essay questions. Three winners will get the chance to meet Jonas, and Bayer will donate $5,000 each to the charities of their choice.
From the June 01, 2010 Issue of MM+M - Medical Marketing and Media
