The lost ring

McDonalds has launched an alternative reality game, The Lost Ring, in an attempt to connect with digitally savvy gen Yr's. The game is incredibly popular and has taken on a life of its own. What's amazing is that the McDonald's brand is barely noticeable.

Interactive banners around the world ask consumers: Are you in? Trailers tease the audience with pieces of the backstory, which involves a young heroine who wakes up in a parallel universe not knowing who or where she is. What does she do? She sets up a blog to connect with other lost souls and together they begin to piece together clues about "Esperant," a long lost universal global language that has the power to unite the human race at the summer Olympic Games in Beijing.

The game has really taken off. Fans have launched wikis, video channels and Esperanto translation sites in more than 100 countries. Check it out here.