Mankato, Minnesota, is the home of the Vikings for the duration of training camp. To celebrate the upcoming season, the Greater Mankato Convention and Visitors Bureau has partnered with SCVNGR and will challenge fans to trek about the community, complete challenges and earn prizes in the process.
The Visitors Bureau essentially revamped a game it had already created called "Jared's Journey," and are now using SCVNGR to bring it to life in a whole new form. The original "Jared's Journey" involved a cardboard cutout of the Vikings "sack machine," Jared Allen, and was toted around town to local establishments.
The SCVNGR variety tasks fan to complete challenges -- like snapping a photo of the Minnesota State University mascot -- to earn points. Those that do can win Jared Allen autographed merchandise or tickets to a Vikings game.
SCVNGR Founder and CEO Seth Priebatsch tells us that the deal came about because the Mankato Visitors Bureau was inspired by how the city of Philadelphia is using the service. The staff then approached the team about a training camp trek to build pre-season buzz for Vikings, and thus "Jared's Journey" was reborn in SCVNGR form.