Summary of the confusion surrounding Monster Energy limited gear applications

News article about the 'MONSTER ENERGY Limited Gear Campaign for 10,000 Winners' starting on June 16, 2014
If you're not familiar, please check out the link above.

Process from Announcement to the Day of the Application

• Monster Energy sampling event with flyers for the limited gear campaign
• The official website was still showing 'COMING SOON' with no details
• Cans with limited edition designs (with serial numbers) released
• After the release of the cans, the details of the prizes and the number of exchangeable serial numbers remained unclear online
• It was later revealed that the flyer distributed during the sampling event actually had details about the prizes and the number of serial numbers required for exchanges
• Detailed information was posted on Energy Drink Mania (June 11)
• On the night of June 15, the official website still didn’t have prize details or any information about when and how to apply
• As midnight approached, doubts arose on social media that it might not be possible to apply at that time
• Finally, the prize details were updated and registration for the account to apply was enabled (just before 11:30 PM on June 15)
• For some reason, the beanie was marked as no longer available before applications had even started
• Some serial numbers could be registered even before June 16
• At midnight, everyone started entering serial numbers at once, but most received the 'wrong code' error and couldn’t apply
• Various speculations spread, and the campaign page switched back to 'COMING SOON'
• Monster Energy fans went wild (which was actually quite fun, right? (*ﾉω・*)ﾃﾍ)
• Around 1:30 AM, without any official announcement, the campaign page switched back to normal
• Everyone entered their serial numbers again → Wow! It worked!
• From that point on, the campaign page seemed to be running normally
• Official announcement from Monster Energy regarding the issue (apology and explanation of the malfunction)

Details of Each Incident

Prize Information Was Not Published Until About 30 Minutes Before Application Started

The flyer distributed during Monster Energy sampling events had detailed information about the prizes, but only a few people had access to it. Most people were supposed to apply on the official website, but as a result, Monster Energy fans were left in the dark until the night before the application started.

Luckily, I received the flyer details from one of my followers, so I posted them as a news article. I edited it to share it with as many Monster Energy fans as possible, and it was spread on social media.

From the start, it was clear that the following basic information should have been posted beforehand:

• Prize details
• Number of serial codes required for exchanges
• Start time for applications

There were voices from Monster Energy fans and enthusiasts calling for this. I feel like the sense of excitement after being teased with information would have been less overwhelming if they had posted this essential information earlier. Especially since this was a first-come, first-served campaign with an unknown quantity of prizes.

On the Night of June 15, the Beanie Was Marked as Closed and Some Codes Were Accepted Early

This was a complete mistake. Even though applications hadn’t started yet, the beanie was already marked as unavailable, and some serial codes were accepted before June 16, though it’s unclear if exchanges were actually completed.

Entering Serial Codes Resulted in 'Wrong Code' Errors

It was confirmed that applications were supposed to start at midnight. However, when the time came, most serial codes resulted in 'wrong code' errors and could not be accepted. All 30 of my serial codes received the 'wrong code' error.

At this point, 'wrong code' became a trending term on Twitter.

Some serial codes did go through, and some people were able to complete exchanges. There were even rumors that the same serial codes from previous campaigns were used, which may have led to the issue where codes were made invalid before the Japan launch. (The truth remains unclear.)

And Then It Switched Back to 'COMING SOON'

Official site switched back to the previous design. Now I can’t even enter serial codes or see the gear.

— クボッチ (@9BO_FPS) June 15, 2014

Amid tweets about being unable to enter serial codes, the official site unexpectedly switched back to 'COMING SOON' without any prior notice. This caused a significant uproar.

For about an hour, there was no response or announcement regarding the situation.

The server itself was working fine, but given the issues with the serial codes, discussions began about whether:

• External parties might have manipulated the serial codes somehow
• The serial code data hadn’t been reflected in the system properly

The long period of no response only added to the frustration. However, even amidst the chaos, many Monster Energy fans enjoyed the drama. As expected, 'COMING SOON' became a trending term, with some fans even changing their Twitter icons to match the phrase. It became a major meme.

Still, for those who had bought several cans of Monster Energy and were anxiously waiting for their chance to apply, the uncertainty was increasing. Many were left wondering when to finally go to bed, especially since there were no updates. Some people even fell asleep during the waiting period.

Without Any Warning, the Application Page Was Updated Again

I took a bath and came back to find the page has been updated. Monster Energy is crazy.

— クボッチ (@9BO_FPS) June 15, 2014

This was the most frustrating part.

• There was no clear announcement about the issue, like 'We’re currently fixing the issue, please wait'
• There was no estimated time for when it would be resolved
• No official notice about when the application would be available again

If they had simply made an announcement like this, people would have been much more reassured. However, they switched back to the 'COMING SOON' page with no communication, and then abruptly changed to the application page without warning. This was a major letdown for many fans.

The Sad Reality of the Corporate Side...

As I tweeted on Twitter, here are some possible internal issues:

• The external system development company might have needed more time to fix the problem
• There might not have been anyone with the authority to approve status updates or apologies
• There may have been no one available to update the site with 'COMING SOON' and other pages

These are some of the sad realities that anyone working in an organization might think of. It’s unfortunate, but it seems like they tried their best to resolve the issue as quickly as possible.

Despite this, the abrupt changes left fans confused. From the start, it felt odd that basic details weren’t shared, and in the end, the worst happened.

Monster Energy Fans Really Love Monster Energy

From what I see from my followers, it’s clear how deeply they love Monster Energy. Personally, I also love Monster Energy. Among all energy drinks, it seems like Monster is the one that is most loved and respected. At least domestically, I feel there are a lot of hardcore fans of Monster Energy.

However, no matter how much people love something, they can’t support a company that doesn’t treat them properly.

While issues with serial codes are understandable and I hoped they would fix them, the way they handled the situation afterward was disappointing. Many fans felt let down, and some even said, 'I’m done buying Monster Energy.' Others said, 'I used to love it, but after the way they handled this, I feel distant.'

Fortunately, everyone who stayed up or woke up early was able to apply, so in the end, it worked out for those who waited. It was a small blessing in the chaos. In the future, it would be great if they included some kind of report or apology in the prize shipments or after the campaign ended to help restore their image.

Just after that, Monster Energy’s Twitter account posted an apology about the system malfunction.

「GET MONSTER GEAR」キャンペーンスタート直後に、システムの不具合により応募が受け付けられない事象が発生しておりましたが、現在は復旧しており応募することができます。大変ご迷惑をお掛けしましたことをお詫び申し上げます。　https://t.co/EoaB2CdVrs

— Monster Energy Japan (@MonsterEnergyJP) 2014, 6月 16

The Monster Energy fanbase will definitely continue to support the brand, and I look forward to even more exciting campaigns in the future.