Mouse game to inform players about vermin and their habits

Scamper - invented by pest control group Rentokil - also has his own Twitter account and four CGI video clips to further brand awareness.

Players who manage to get the better of Scamper will see a box popping up and on filling in their details, high scorers are awarded a weekly prize.

The videos are also well thought out: they are short (all are less than 30 seconds) and informative, so viewers won't be put off and may be encouraged to share the content.

"The game looks good and the use of a CGI mouse adds a quirky element that couldn't be achieved through a straightforward corporate blog," said a reviewer after the UK launch of the game.

Nathalie Leblond, marketing and communications manager of Rentokil South Africa, explained the motive behind the making of a South African version: "One of our studies showed that over the past 12 months 13 percent of businesses have encountered a pest problem, with mice being the cause of 39 percent of these. Besides structural damage and stock losses, an infestation can harm both employee relations and a company's reputation. Private homes can also be ruined by mice gnawing their way through boxes in search of food and annoying the inhabitants by leaving droppings and causing odours.

"To treat an infestation it's important to anticipate and understand mouse behaviour, and to know how to get hold of us if you have a problem. Scamper does that."

The game can be run from Facebook on https://apps.facebook.com/scampermouse/?fb.

More information about rodents is available on www.rentokil.co.za.