Elf Yourself from OfficeMax

So you have probably already heard about it, recieved it in your email or saw a link on some random website for it? It's here - Elf Yourself. This is the viral campaign to launch the OfficeMax holiday season connection with it's customers. It's the Flash microsite that lets you upload a photo of anyone you like, attatch their head to an elf before watching them dance to Christmas tunes! There is probably 2 things you didn't know, one being why in the world would anyone shop for Christmas gifts at an office supply store and the other being the 20 microsites that are part of this campaign!
Tucked away at the bottom of the page is the OfficeMax logo, rolling over launches an interactive menu with links to all your microsites. Each microsite features a simple yet endlessly entertaining mini-game or interactive experience, from arm-wrestling the reindeers' to choreographing the big fellas' dance moves with North Pole Dancing.
OfficeMax enlisted no less than 8 Interactive agencies, 3 production companies and an editorial company. Plus thier major advertising agency, Toy. This campaign was designed to replace the lame e-cards repeated season after season. So these microsites needed to be fun, interactive, addictive and appeal to people looking to send their friends and loved ones a little bit of Chrsitmas Cheer!
My only question is - will this actually help sell more Christmas gifts from OfficeMax? Probably not directly, but what it will do (as a good viral or interactive campaign should do) is to have the OfficeMax name and branding burnt in the back of your mind hopeing to take advantage of you as you rush around this christmas, driving past an OfficeMax store only to realise - oh wait, they have christmas stuff this year, I played their funny Christmas games and I think they even have an MP3 player for $99! ;) Campaign Justified.