Air New Zealand mascot Rico has met with an untimely death - or perhaps that should be timely.
Fans and followers of the furry creature are now being asked to help solve his murder via an online version of Cluedo - following a tie-up between Air New Zealand and game-maker Hasbro.
And a sneak preview of the game:
Rico was devised a year ago to promote the airline's economy and premium economy Skycouch and Spaceseat.
His YouTube and China equivalent Youku videos have been viewed more than 4.5 million times in the past year and his Facebook fan base is more than 47,000.
The airline has been praised in the past for its use of social media and video.
It also scored 250,000 youtube hits in a week when Rico interviewed former Baywatch star, David Hasselhoff. He even helped the airline win a marketing strategy award this year which makes you wonder why he is being axed.
The Air New Zealand/Cluedo game, available until 13 December, has so far attracted more than 7,500 investigators.
