Look, none of this is really all that important. The important thing here is that if I don't get a Maple Story 7-eleven cup, someone is going to die. Statistically speaking someone is going to die anyway, but getting a collector's cup with a cute little pirate standing on a mushroom on its surface would assure everyone that I wasn't directly involved.

Nexon and 7-Eleven® Launch ‘Where You Play for Free’ Slurpee® and Online Games Campaign

Millions Can Instantly Experience Nexon’s Free, High-Quality Online Games via Redeemable Codes on Branded Slurpee® Cups and Game DVD Giveaways

LOS ANGELES—(BUSINESS WIRE)—Nexon America, a world leader in massively multiplayer online (MMO) games, and 7-Eleven, Inc. have kicked off the “Where You Play for Free” Slurpee® drink campaign in the U.S. to introduce and promote the world of free-to-play online games.

The promotion, running now through Dec. 31 in more than 5,600 participating U.S. 7-Eleven® stores, includes four Nexon-branded 22-oz. Slurpee cups, each featuring different eye-popping images from Nexon’s games: MapleStory, Mabinogi, Combat Arms and Sugar Rush.

7-Eleven customers also receive a collectible Nexon game DVD with the purchase of a 22-oz. or larger-size Slurpee beverage while supplies last. The DVD features the four Nexon games on the branded cups so users can easily download these games onto their PC.

Each Nexon-themed Slurpee cup has an exclusive game code that is redeemable for customized 7-Eleven and Slurpee-branded in-game virtual items in the four games. The game code also provides 7-Eleven customers access to participate in the closed beta stage of the highly anticipated MMO game Sugar Rush, which is scheduled to launch in early 2009. Customers can learn more by visiting http://slurpee.nexon.net.

“7-Eleven is a great advocate of free-to-play online games, and now millions of its customers will have the chance to join in the fun through the pre-loaded DVDs that allow them to quickly install our games with the click of the mouse,” said Min Kim, vice president of marketing for Nexon America. “Then, once they’re in one of our games, which span from role playing to first-person shooters, they can use the Slurpee game codes to access free, exclusive content.”

To further commemorate the promotion, 7-Eleven also introduced a new, promotional flavor, Vanilla Créme, a variation of vanilla that mixes well with other Slurpee flavors. For more information on all things Slurpee, go to www.Slurpee.com.

“We’ve seen great success with the Nexon pre-paid cash cards and this partnership further solidifies 7-Eleven as a premier gaming destination,” said Brad Haga, 7-Eleven’s senior product director of services. “Free-to-play games are more popular than ever in North America, and with Nexon, we can deliver a dynamic experience for our customers looking for great entertainment.”

Nexon offers gamers a chance to select one of the following options with a Slurpee game code:

— Combat Arms (http://combatarms.nexon.net)

— 7-Eleven-branded cap and supply case (which offers a random weapon to use)

— Mabinogi (http://mabinogi.nexon.net)

— Slurpee potion which has healing powers (20 potions per code)

— MapleStory (http://maplestory.nexon.net)

— 7-Eleven-themed Double Experience Points card, which lasts for one hour

— Sugar Rush (http://sugarrush.nexon.net)

— Exclusive closed beta access and Slurpee set, which includes a Slurpee-style straw, 7-Eleven T-shirt and Slurpee hair with cap

Slurpee® Rocks the Store with Guitar Hero May Promotion Aimed at Music-, Game-Savvy Consumers

DALLAS—(BUSINESS WIRE)—To promote its new Full Throttle Frozen Blast Slurpee® drink this May, 7-Eleven, Inc. has partnered with Coca-Cola, Activision, Inc. and Microsoft Corp. in a marketing and public relations blitz designed to reach music-loving, videogame-playing, techno-savvy, 18- to 34-year-old males.

Online and radio contests, grassroots events and traveling street teams will call attention to 7-Eleven's promotion of Activision's highly anticipated Guitar Hero: Aerosmith. The Guitar Hero videogame franchise has sold more than 14 million games worldwide since its introduction in 2005.

In an online contest at www.slurpee.com, visitors can enter codes found on specially marked 22-ounce Guitar Hero-branded Slurpee cups for a chance to win a copy of the new Guitar Hero: Aerosmith videogame, Xbox 360® videogame and entertainment system from Microsoft, or Microsoft Points to purchase content from Xbox LIVE® Marketplace. One copy of the new Guitar Hero: Aerosmith game will be awarded every hour throughout the month of May, for a total of 744 games. In addition, 10 lucky winners each will receive a prize package that includes an Xbox 360 console along with a copy of Guitar Hero: Aerosmith. Finally, more than 711,000 Microsoft Points will be awarded.

"The sweet spot of the core Slurpee customer is between 18 and 24 years old," said Jay Wilkins, brand manager for Slurpee and Big Gulp® beverages. "Our goal is to keep Slurpee as cool today as it was to teens and young adults in the 1960s when it was first introduced."

Today, that means partnering with hit movies, videogames, popular music and extreme sports ... and reaching out to teens and young adults where they are - online and on the street. To that end, 7-Eleven has planned some non-traditional approaches to this month's promotion in addition to unconventional advertising:

Getting Ripped - Giant tear-off pads of posters featuring art from Guitar Hero and Full Throttle Frozen Blast Slurpee will be posted at 484 outdoor locations near schools, transit stations, theaters, skate parks, beaches, etc., in eight major metropolitan areas.1 (See below for participating markets.)
Mobile Screens - Media vans, each with a 6- by 12-foot video screen, will visit select 7-Eleven stores where visitors can play a version of Guitar Hero live.
Pickin' Slurpee - More than 10,000 custom guitar picks printed with Full Throttle Frozen Blast on one side and the slurpee.com website address on the other will be distributed at special events.
Hot off the Press - College students still read newspapers - their own. Full-color ads including Slurpee coupons will run in 21 college and university newspapers in 7-Eleven major markets.2 (See below for participating markets.)
Slurpee Nation - A revamped Slurpee website is the hub of all the activities, including featured contests, Slurpee trivia games and the 4-1-1 on upcoming special events.
"Every month this summer - every week even - something new will be buzzing around Slurpee," Wilkins said. "Stay tuned. Slurpee is ready to rock!"