This was no ordinary hunt. We weren’t tracking quail on a farm or clicking plastic Nintendo guns at ducks bouncing around the TV. This was a hunt for the ‘Now Generation,’ involving Facebook, Twitter, and a willingness to decipher clues to get a pair of tickets to one of the hottest shows this year. After being given the chance to do a fun giveaway for Black Eyed Peas tickets, we decided to engage our social media followers, who tend to interact with us on a daily basis. It was a nice way to reward them, while giving them something fun to do. While free tickets are free tickets, who wouldn’t want to decipher a clue, race your peers, and find a hidden pair? It’s much more exciting and satisfying than getting them in the mail.

The general locations were picked: (2) Pair at University of Kentucky, (2) Pair at Eastern Kentucky University, (1) Pair at Transylvania University, and (1) Pair in Winchester, KY. It was a broad enough radius to test the waters, and narrow enough to be able to do it in two afternoons.

EKU was the first location on the schedule. We decided to hide them on the back of a marble bench in a courtyard with a fountain. The clue was “First pair of Black Eyed Peas tickets hidden behind one of these benches near the fountain at EKU. First to find them, gets them,” attached to a photo of the set of benches. While the location in relation to the bench was specific, which set of benches was the challenge. The courtyard was lined with around 12 sets of almost identical benches. It didn’t take long though, before someone tracked them down and snagged the envelope taped to the back. For the second location at EKU, we headed to The Ravine, an outdoor stone and grass amphitheater located in a high-traffic area. We wedged the tickets under a branch in one of the trees, and took a photo which obviously showed the tickets in the foreground, and a bit of the stage in the background. Using the photo, and the vague clue (”Second pair of Black Eyed Peas tickets are in a tree in the Ravine at EKU.”), people had to figure out which tree had the stage in the background, then hunt down where the tickets were located on that tree. Students began filing out of nearby dorm buildings with cell phone in hand, scouring the grounds for the mysterious tree that housed the tickets. It wasn’t long before someone snagged them from their spot.

The next morning, we headed to Winchester, KY in search of a spot to hide the tickets. We found the Leeds Theatre, a recognizable classic in downtown Winchester, and tucked the tickets away behind a column on the outside of the building. It wasn’t hard to see the tickets in the photo, but was more of a foot race to see who could get there to claim them first. The beauty of social sites is that there is always someone in the area and checking Facebook or Twitter, so not long after we left the Theatre, someone came and grabbed them.

With Winchester done, we hit the road to head back to Lexington and to the Transylvania University campus. After a quick walk around, we found The Kissing Tree, a famous big tree on campus with a bench going around it. We pointed people to the exact location, but not where it was hidden. Before long we saw someone jogging toward the tree, with a huge grin on her face. With help with a couple friends, they began kicking around dirt, looking on the tree and under the bench. Haydon’s search paid off when one of her friends spotted the ticket envelope taped in the back under one side of the bench.

After a short drive, we arrived at UK’s campus, easily the most active of the ticket locations. As we began to walk around, classes let out so there were lots of students roaming around campus, ready for the hunt. We stopped in the White Hall Classroom Building and managed to find an empty classroom (the kind that seats around 300 people). We found a random seat, pulled the fold-up table out, taped the tickets to the bottom, then folding it back down. As soon as the tickets were taped we sent out our clue, along with a photo of the entrance to the building: “1st pair Black Eyed Peas tix, room 106 row G of classroom building at UK.” Within 30 seconds of sending it out, people already started to come into the classroom and search up and down row G. We dodged out of sight as to not reveal ourselves. When we swung back by the entrance, there were easily 10 or 12 people searching every seat in row G. Nate was talking to someone on his phone who was on Facebook and happen to be at the right place at the right time. He was the first to the scene and first to find the tickets.

We didn’t have a specific place in mind for the last pair of tickets, so we started wandering around campus. Eventually we found a staircase in the back of a building that looked promising. We planned to tape the last pair of tickets on the support pole facing the building. We waited as people passed by, poised to tape them up when the coast was clear. One person caught on to us and was watching what we were doing, so we had to abort the location, and flee to another spot. We got back in the car, drove around campus some more, and then found a nice home for the tickets underneath a bridge connected to one of the buildings. We stashed the ticket envelope underneath a drain pipe, and then watched from afar as someone looked under the bridge and claimed the tickets.

Although the hunt is over for now, we definitely learned a lot from this and plan to do it again for more events in the future. Thanks to everyone who participated in finding the tickets, commenting on Facebook and Twitter, and being fans/followers of Rupp Arena in the first place. We can’t ever thank you enough for you support. Also, thanks to AEG for hooking us up with tickets to give away in the first place.

We will be back for other shows, and go to more places. The fun has just begun…