A ransom note, a prince and Magnum’s Pleasure Hunt 3

Every year it’s the same thing: I say I am not going to let myself get caught up in Magnum’s elaborate web-infused campaign racing across the internet. Every year I fail because the games get more addictive.

The first year you had the race across the web collecting chocolate bonbons in search of the ultimate pleasure. That was fun. Last year it was a race through the streets of New York also in search of the ultimate pleasure. Now Magnum’s Pleasure Hunt is back for a third year. This time, it’s a race against time save a kidnapped prince in beautiful Paris.

My renewed addiction arrived in the form a very authentic ransom note, each letter painstakingly cut out. My mission was simple, rescue the prince from his villainous captors.

The elaborate advertising campaign has seen more than 10-million players worldwide who spent a few minutes of their day playing Magnum’s heroine hunting for delicious treats, and, in the latest iteration, a kiss from a prince.

This year’s version is pretty cool: the company has integrated Twitter into the mix with the woeful prince giving helpful hints to our heroine via tweets. There are five different games to complete unlike before when it was just one. Every time the game is done, the prince manages to be snatched, again (rather annoyingly) and you have to play again. Each game is different and the challenges are harder but it’s not just about running through the web or New York City anymore. This time some thinking is required to succeed and the fun has also been moved to smartphones as well.

Yup, 10-minutes worth wasting indeed. The tasks are simple: make sure the prince stays alive, doesn’t burn to death or maimed by exploding things. Each game is set somewhere in Paris or a Parisian themed webpage. Every time you win a game you get a kiss from the prince to symbolize each of the Magnum five kisses.