Npower invites consumers to ‘punch’ BG in viral skirmish

Npower is inviting consumers to “beat up” British Gas’ blue flame character in a tongue-in-cheek viral game.

The online game, called Gasbag Smackdown, has been created by Glasgow-based agency Dog Digital. It puts players in charge of a boxing glove in a virtual gym. They must hit a speedball as many times as possible as the clock ticks down.

As the bag is punched, it begins to turn blue like the British Gas flame and scream out slogans such as “Fix and Fall, my arse”, according to an npower spokesman. Players can enter their total on a leaderboard at the end of the game.

Seeding for the viral campaign, found at www.thegasbag.com, has been carried out by online marketing specialist W00t!media, and it has been flagged up on games portals to attract players.

The npower spokesman says: “Although originally planned for internal use, we have recognised the potential outside the business.

“We have adapted it because it was designed for our sales force. But it became clear this could be enjoyed by our customers – and those of British Gas.”

The subversive viral is the latest blow in utility providers’ bitter battle for customers. This week, British Gas launched “Green Bonds” for its customers as part of an energy efficiency drive.

A spokesman calls the bonds scheme a “little green thank you” to all its existing customers, who will be entered into quarterly prize draws to win energy efficiency prizes for the home.