Oscar Mayer Launches a Bacon-Based Cryptocurrency, and Obviously It’s Called Bacoin
The 2018 hotness of cryptocurrency meets the timeless sizzle of bacon in Oscar Mayer’s newest ridiculous tech project: Bacoin. Bitcoin enthusiasts are sure to roll their eyes at the admittedly silly stunt, where the value of a Bacoin shifts by the hour and is measured in slices of bacon. Essentially a giveaway with a varying prize value, Bacoin still puts a fun branded twist on the bizarre roller coaster of cryptocurrencies. The value of a Bacoin is based on the number of times it’s been shared in social media, encouraging those who sign up for a Bacoin to give it a short-term boost by talking about it endlessly—and hey, isn’t that what cryptocurrency is all about?Oscar Mayer certainly isn’t taking the effort too seriously, as you can tell in this intro video starring “Keith Sizzle,” who’d make for a worthy addition in the line of Pied Piper owners in HBO’s Silicon Valley: Digital Prophet Keith Sizzle Unveils Newest Cryptocurrency: Bacoin 00:0002:17
“Oscar Mayer is the gold standard of bacon because of our dedication to hand-selecting the best cuts and then naturally sugar curing and naturally hardwood smoking our bacon,” Matt Riezman, brandmanager for Oscar Mayer, says in a statement launching the promotion. “Add to that our proven expertise in the bacon-tech space, Bacoin is poised to deliciously revolutionize the cryptocurrency market.” Previously, the brand has released such bold digital-forward initiatives as Sizzl, a dating app for bacon lovers, and a bacon-scented alarm clock called “Wake Up and Smell the Bacon,” both created in partnership with agency 360i. The Bacoin initiative was led by agency McGarryBowen. Oscar Mayer certainly isn’t the first brand to roll out a product-based cryptocurrency. Burger King launched its own Whoppercoin in 2017.