How big brands spice their Christmas campaigns up with Augmented reality
Christmas is a holly occasion. It is also the ideal time for brands to incorporate positive emotions into their communication campaigns to gain appealing effect.
Applying Augmented reality into communication has been around since the last decade. Since the first introduction to marketing, AR has never failed to draw the public attention and created many “wow-effect.” For marketers and strategists, now is the high time to preparing for the upcoming holiday season. If you still wonder how to implement AR into your Christmas campaign, this blog is for you. I gather several successful AR-relating marketing campaigns on Christmas to give you some inspiration.
So, more horsing around, let dive in!
Coca-Cola AR Polar Bear
Kicked-start on Christmas 2019, the Coca-Cola augmented reality Polar Bear is the leading Coca-Cola holiday-themed promotion chain of events. By scanning specially marked cans and bottles with the Coca-Cola mobile app, smartphone users can see an immersive computer-generated view of the Coke polar bears’ “arctic home,” per an announcement.
Each packaging design opens various Polar Bear experiences –from a sledding scene inspired by the 2013 Coca-Cola holiday ad to snowball fights to a holiday light show. When people scan two cans on the same screen, the Polar Bear family will tap out “Jingle Bells” on glass Coke bottles.
Creators: In-house agency KO:OP and Coca-Cola Digital Platforms and creative agency Tactic
Although not adding any significant value or message to the main product, the AR campaign from Coca-Cola has created a fresh, entertaining customer experience as content consumption on mobile devices grows. Besides, giving customers a reason to download the Coca-Cola app also provides the brand with an approach to continue to drive engagement with these fans once the holiday promotion is over.
Christmas Treasure Hunt at Covent Garden in London
On Christmas, 2016, Blippar partnered with Hearst to make the shopping experience easier for parents and children alike. Top style editors from ELLE, Esquire, and Cosmopolitan, compiled beauty and fashion AR gift guides within 140 participating shops to inspire shoppers. Shoppers could also unlock exclusive offers from the blippable Christmas tree, decorated with ‘offers’ that they opened through Blippar. There was plenty to keep the children entertained too! We invite the shoppers to an Augmented Reality treasure hunt to catch eight of Santa’s hidden reindeer and enter to win daily prizes!
This hunting game is a brilliant way to drive footfall to your space, encourage purchase with unlockable offers, and create a unique brand experience that leaves a lasting impression.
52% of participants completed the treasure hunt, 30% redeemed an offer, and 24% shared the experience on social.
John Lewis’ beloved Christmas augmented ads
John Lewis brought us a twist on Christmas 2019 with a combination of Snapchat Lens and AR technology which turns users into the main character from their Christmas advert: Excitable Edgar.
The advert delivered the story of a dragon’s redeeming journey from a reckless one who keeps accidentally ruining Christmas by getting overexcited and burning snowmen, Christmas wreaths, and even an entire Christmas tree down to a warm-hearted one who is effectively igniting a Christmas pudding for everybody to share. The advertisement brought a compelling, entertaining experience yet sent out the holiday spirit of transferring to the customers with excellent story-telling techniques.
John Lewis’s AR Dragon
Try the Snapchat lens here.
Build your own Santa or Elf
Brought by blippar, this could be an excellent idea for your Christmas campaign this year to harness the customers’ surprise and entertainment by letting them build their own AR experience. Consumers have to color in their paper Santa or Elf and then scan to bring it to life in augmented reality. Creating a unique model is a fun and memorable experience to add to your product packaging or paper collateral — from catalogs and handouts to direct mail, corporate greeting cards, and more. It’s also a powerful way to drive brand engagement, particularly for continuing to engage customers post-purchase as they enjoy their AR experience at home and share it with friends.
Target’s Christmas tree AR effect
Target has gone practical with their 2018-Christmas-themed AR effect, designed to help customers buy the perfect Christmas tree. With this effect, they can expect to get great results if they intend to drive sales of their vast collection of Christmas trees. Hundreds of thousands of guests are already using the “See It in Your Space” tree feature and loving it — here’s how it works:
- In the Target app, look for Christmas trees with an “AR” icon or that says “See It in Your Space.” (Use iOS 12 for the best experience.)
- The AR experience uses your camera to show the product with true-to-life size wherever you are.
The effect appears on Target’s mobile app for iOS and Android, where users can tap an AR icon to activate the AR experience, allowing users to visualize the Christmas tree in their living room.
Christmas AR Postcard
Baked in 2016, the Christmas AR postcard pairing with the phone application is a perfect gift for relatives and customers. With several features, the AR postcard can create a holy yet joyful experience, and bonding time for family and friends.
With the phone app, users can scan the postcard and enjoy the AR model on their phone.
With AR, brands can spread the Christmas spirit and combine a few enchanting tats to the Christmas campaign, making it more memorable and customer-engaging. Don’t wait; adopt this trending technology in your campaign this year and have a very augmented Christmas!
