Microsoft has launched a new version of its BigSnapSearch.com campaign, driving people to its search engine with the incentive of John Lewis vouchers.

The promotion in the run-up to Christmas offers the chance to win prizes every time someone uses Microsoft Live Search. Thousands of pounds of vouchers will be given away, with 24 prizes a day until January 5.

The 11-week campaign aims to increase query share in the crucial run-up to Christmas as well as driving impressions and click-through for advertisers.

Users visit the BigSnapSearch.com landing page, which is fully integrated with Microsoft Live Search, and conduct searches for a chance to win.

It builds on the huge success of the initial BigSnapSearch.com activity that ran earlier this year and saw searches on Microsoft Live Search grow by a third during its eight-week promotion period.

The campaign mechanic is designed around the classic family card game of snap with two randomly generated cards turning over every time the user searches. Prizes are given away instantly online for every pair of matching cards revealed. Any search term can be a winner.

Microsoft has teamed up with popular retailer John Lewis Partnership to provide hundreds of pounds of online vouchers that can be redeemed both at stores and at www.johnlewis.com.

Microsoft’s creative agency Thin Martian have re-designed the Big Snap online campaign mechanic in keeping with the seasonal timing of the activity, working closely with Microsoft’s internal team to enhance the existing Microsoft Live Search user experience.

The multimillion-pound marketing campaign uses high-profile online and offline media platforms, driving over 30 million users to the campaign, including a week-long broadcast promotion on the newly rebranded Absolute radio network, formerly Virgin Radio, as well as a week-long promotion with Metro.

The competition is also integrated across the MSN network, including a permanent placement on the home page, editorial coverage and multiple media placements, reaching millions of consumers and boosting benefits and click through rates for advertisers.

Marie Thirlwall, senior product manager at Microsoft Live Search UK, said: “BigSnapSearch.com was a hugely successful mechanic to increase consumer awareness and understanding of all the cool features we have built into Microsoft Live Search.

“By engaging consumers in a fun, rewarding way we managed to double our search volumes, reaping huge rewards for our advertisers.

“We now plan to capitalise on the peak in search traffic in the run-up to Christmas with a really exciting marketing plan which will drive searches and give our advertisers the benefits of additional impressions and clicks.

“Our partnership with the John Lewis Group means BigSnapSearch.com is even bigger and better this time round so it’s great to have them onboard for this initiative.”