7-Eleven rocks the Twittersphere

Today is July 11th; 7/11 if you will. And, for those of you who don't already know, today is 7-Eleven's national holiday. Many locations throughout the country will be offering free Slurpees today, yes FREE, to help celebrate the convenience store's 82nd birthday and the invention of their cold, sweet, and wonderfully refreshing beverage.

To give credit where credit is due, 7-Eleven did a great job creating buzz around this promotion. The Twittersphere has been whirling for two weeks in anticipation of 7-Eleven day and a special pre-party event in Southern California.

The 7-Eleven SoCal Street Team (@7ElevenSoCal) first asked its followers what 7-Eleven product they'd want for free if they could have it. Hands down, the winner was the Slurpee. After that, Twitter followers were told that their voices were heard and the first 100 people to show up at a pre-party event in North Hollywood on July 10 would receive free Slurpees for a YEAR. Yep, a full year. The street team then enticed Twitter followers with a month's worth of free coffee if they'd RSVP for the party.

In short, the pre-party was a huge success. 7-Eleven secured great media coverage and millions of people heard about the national celebration on July 11th. This promotion was a stellar example of how Twitter can be used to generate excitement and increase exposure. Kudos to the 7-Eleven marketing folks for utilizing this new medium so effectively and showing us the power of tweeting.

Okay, so I'm done gushing with praise now and I'm going to step out for my free Slurpee. Let the brain freeze begin!