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#005

Immersive Reality Marketing: 7-Eleven’s Fall Football AR Campaign

A central part of their strategy is the concept of ‘always-on’ AR, designed to delight customers and deliver continued high-quality value-added immersive experiences for users by maximising their impressive range of brand partnerships. The consistency of activations establishes a strong relationship with customers, rewarding regular app usage as well as store visits and, crucially, ensuring it is never considered a novelty feature.

7 Eleven AR Campaign

Goals of AR Campaign

For the Fall Football campaign, the goal has remained the same: to drive interest towards 7-Eleven’s partners’ products via engaging experiences, as well as driving sales in-store via 7Rewards points.

Strategy of AR Campaign

The Fall Football activity continued the ongoing success of their ‘always-on’ AR campaign, which included activations for Pepsi, Dr. Pepper, Doritos, Red Bull, Reese’s, BODYARMOR and the Deadpool 2 franchise, all having a major impact on app downloads. By June 2019, the app had over ten million engagements across 30+ mini-games. The key was to continue this success, by ensuring that users kept returning to the app whilst also attracting new customers by targeting different markets – in this case football fans.

Strategy-wise, the team wanted to create a timely experience that capitalised on a major social event, to draw interested users to the 7Rewards app. The retailer wanted to keep users engaged with the app, thus incentivising customers to visit their retail locations to spend their 7Rewards points.

Fall Football launched to celebrate the start of the NFLs sporting season, under the theme ‘Get Game Day Ready.’ The campaign featured a virtual avatar of Dallas Cowboys quarterback and 7-Eleven brand ambassador Dak Prescott, created via an innovative digital full-body scan. The virtual Dak featured in many of the mini-games as well as guiding customers through the experiences. By using immersive technology and the notion of football celebrity, the app was able to tap into an emotive time for fans of the game.

The campaign included several AR activations that rolled out between September and November, including:

— A re-design of the app menu to incorporate AR elements, where Dak Prescott speaks to the player;
— An AR field goal challenge, where players kick footballs through goal posts placed in the real world;
— A photo feature, where fans can take a selfie with virtual Dak.
— A mini-game where fans customise the look and end zone dance moves of their avatar
— A trick-shot game where players help Dak Prescott shoot and knock over branded bottles.

AR Campaign Execution

To encourage gameplay, a virtual Dak Prescott appeared in the app to introduce the new games, activities, and awesome selfie features available throughout the season. Along with Dak’s celebrity, mini-games that allowed photos or videos to be shared on social media also helped to drive additional interest in the app, resulting in more users over time. It also incentivised players to keep returning to the app to discover new mini-games as they were released.

The app benefitted from the AR implementation, immersing customers in the 7Rewards app as they engaged with the games and collected 7Reward points. Innovation-wise, AR kept users interested and playing consistently. By making the content fun and engaging, users were incentivised to return to the app and collect further points that could be spent in 7-Eleven stores.

Campaign Results

The Fall Football Campaign successfully brought new customers to the 7Rewards app and converted users into retail footfall. Across all five mini-games, the app had:

— More than 2,700,000 scans over six months
— More than two minutes dwell time on the app
— More than 600,000 videos and photos shared
— More than 117,000,000 7Reward points generated that were spendable in-store

The key takeaway from is that consistent updates via engaging immersive AR experiences helps to form a tight bond with customers, creating a positive relationship that works over multiple years to drive trips and transactions.

“7-Eleven is customer-obsessed, constantly delivering unique and exciting experiences for customers,” said Sr. Director of Digital Product Management, Sajjad Khan, “We wanted to push what’s possible with AR, creating a timely campaign that surprised and delighted our consumer base. Our Fall Football promotion has been one of our most popular campaigns ever, and over 35 million 7Rewards members can take advantage of the fun and value the AR games offer. We look forward to providing customers with even more experiences of the future as we continue to innovate, research and develop.”

#004

Nintendo Labo VR Kit – Reaching New Heights with VR

Through VR, Nintendo Labo opens up a whole new world of creativity for players of all ages alike

(Design your own VR game with the Labo Toy-Con Garage VR. Image source: Nintendo)

Despite their initial apprehension towards VR, Nintendo announced their foyer into the VR realm in April 2019, introducing the Toy-Con 04 VR Kit.

Cardboard VR kits are nothing new, as Google Cardboard has been doing it with a relative amount of success since their introduction in 2014. However, what sets Labo apart is the play aspect of it – the DIY assembly that builds up to the VR experience.

Nintendo Labo Toy-Con 04: VR Kit​

The Toy-Con 04: VR Kit is the most immersive and comprehensive Nintendo Labo kit to date – containing not only the Toy-Con VR Goggles, but also the Toy-Con Blaster, Camera, Elephant, Bird, and Wind Pedal, as well as a programming tool which allows players to create their own VR games and experiences.

(Image Source: Nintendo Labo)

Similar to the rest of Nintendo Labo’s offerings, the Toy-Con 04: VR Kit is enjoyed through first, building the thick cardboard consoles, then inserting the Switch console to experience. The only difference now is that this is to play VR games. After assembling the VR goggles and other accessories, enter the virtual world of VR through the window view, and watch the toys come to life.

Nintendo Labo Breakdown

The Nintendo Labo VR Kit is the fourth release in the Labo series, encapsulating a full storytelling experience from its name, to its penchant for creative expression.

Origins of the Name

When Nintendo first announced Labo, many wondered how they decided on the name, and whether it was derived from “labroratory”. Turns out, they were right! Nintendo intended for Labo to be thought of as a “labroratory”, driving the brand towards positive impressions such as creation, learning, and experimentation.

Sharp-eyed players also noted that they are branded as Nintendo Labo, and not Nintendo Switch Labo, remaining hopeful that in the future, Nintendo Labo may branch out to become an independent brand, instead of being part of the Switch family.

Nurturing Creativity

The concern for many parents is that most video games may be too violent or too addictive for their children.

Labo aims to disassociate from that viewpoint, stimulating children’s brains during the assembly process then allows them to integrate their own creativity to play the assembled “toys”. For example, the Nintendo Labo Variety Kit is the best kit for beginners, because it includes several different Toy-Con options for DIY building: two RC cars, a fishing rod, motorbike, a house, and a piano, keeping children occupied as they take a hands-on role in building the toys that they will play.

AR Campaign Execution

To encourage gameplay, a virtual Dak Prescott appeared in the app to introduce the new games, activities, and awesome selfie features available throughout the season. Along with Dak’s celebrity, mini-games that allowed photos or videos to be shared on social media also helped to drive additional interest in the app, resulting in more users over time. It also incentivised players to keep returning to the app to discover new mini-games as they were released.

The app benefitted from the AR implementation, immersing customers in the 7Rewards app as they engaged with the games and collected 7Reward points. Innovation-wise, AR kept users interested and playing consistently. By making the content fun and engaging, users were incentivised to return to the app and collect further points that could be spent in 7-Eleven stores.

Nintendo – Creating the Perfect User Experience ​

From the early days of their red and white Famicom, we have watched Nintendo expand to the Game Boy family, and the first motion detection console Wii, to the handheld 3DS capable of displaying stereoscopic 3D effects, to their current, but definitely not their last release – the Switch. Nintendo continues to redefine the gaming industry with their modern creative vision.  

In this era of technology, where manufacturers are repackaging similar content, thinking of ways to get you to open your wallet, Nintendo comes out with innovative, new product lines like Labo, triggering the nostalgia of discovering new games for the first time.

As kids, we were natural adventurers, doing what we did best at that age: play and explore. Despite not having technologically advanced toys, as kids do now, we used our imagination, creating a whole new world of epic battles and adventures with just two figurines and our limitless imagination. Each of us were the designers of our own games, with the sky being the limit to our creativity. This is where the spirit of Nintendo shines through, allowing us to make our own toys, and create our own games through their Labo series, which awakens our forgotten nature to play, create, and explore. Their way of providing entertainment not only comes from the glory of levelling up and exploring new levels in game, but also from the ability to create a new world through our imagination.

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#003

Augmented Reality Smart Glasses – Are they the Future?

What’s the deal with AR Glasses?

Our first impressions of AR glasses are probably from the first generation of Google Glass, announced way back in 2013. It generated an uproar of interest before going public, but was quickly dismissed by the general public after its launch. However, after Google launched their AR glasses, many other companies picked up on this trend, and began development of their own version of the AR glasses. Google can be considered as the pioneer of this technology.

Google Glass (Image Source: Wikipedia)  

Why are corporations investing in the development of AR glasses?

After Google, there have been a multitude of corporations that launched their version of AR glasses. Among them include Microsoft with Hololens, Snapchat with Spectacles, Magic Leap with Magic Leap One, and many more. Apple mentioned that they are working on two AR project, including an AR headset to be released in 2022, as well as a sleeker pair of AR glasses in 2023. Google Glass also launched their second-gen Enterprise Edition 2 in May 2019, and opened it up for direct purchase early 2020. Google also recently bought North, a company focused on building AR glasses, leveraging on North’s technical expertise to continue improving Google’s Glass. According to Google Glass project lead, Jay Kothari, there was “strong demand from developers and businesses who are interested in building new, helpful enterprise solutions for Glass.” It is safe to say that AR glasses are being reviewed in a new light since its introduction and lukewarm reception in 2013.

We predict a future where AR glasses and visual search engines become seamlessly integrated, with AR glasses tapping on to Google’s image search in its seemingly infinite database of information, to provide another convenient method of information search. See an item of clothing you like, and immediately search and compare similar styles, without having to manually search using keywords and descriptions. A visual search may also provide a more accurate search result compared to a manual search.

As we’ve noticed, mobile phones are becoming thinner and more borderless over the years. One reason for this is to reduce the boundary between the virtual and real world. Mobile phone manufacturers strive to make phones borderless, to fulfil our subconscious need to merge the best of both worlds, allowing users to better experience this new, augmented reality outside of the screen of their mobile devices. With this trend, we believe that AR glasses may one day even surpass smartphones in the sense that it allows the user to be directly transported into this virtual environment without being limited to the screens of our mobile devices. AR glasses give users a wider field of information, with the freedom to view and interact with information directly overlaid on real-world items. In the future, we might even be able access AR, switching from virtual reality back to the real world with just a simple click of a button, like how we take a break from our phones by putting it aside. Our smartphones may even be used to control the AR devices, as technology becomes more integrated.

Nreal Light AR glasses (Image Source: engadget)

Current Issues with AR Glasses

1. Privacy

After Snapchat announced the launch of Spectacles – their camera-equipped sunglasses that can easily take photos or videos and seamlessly upload them on Snapchat, YouGov reported that almost 50% of people surveyed worry about being around someone wearing the Spectacles, as they were worried about privacy concerns. Which was partially what the first-gen of Google Glass struggled with, where some corporations have even prohibited the use of Google Glass in their offices.

British TV series Black Mirror touched on this irrational fear in their episode The Entire History of You (S01E03), featuring augmented reality “eyes”, where fragments of their daily lives and people in their surrounding areas are consistently recorded and stored away, ready to rewatch at any time.

2. Price

The first-gen Google Glass cost around US$150 to manufacture, but their market price is almost ten times the cost, at a whooping US$1,500. Although the manpower and hours put in its development is undeniably expensive, the price is too steep, becoming a major deterrent for consumers to purchase the gear to try at their leisure. Now, the second-gen Google Glass retails at around US$999 onwards, which is still a little over budget for leisure use. Perhaps in the future, as smartphones and AR glasses become more heavily integrated, AR glasses may become more widespread, leading to more developers investing in its research and development.

3. Security

When you wear AR glasses, virtual information is overlaid onto the real world, which may cause users’ attention to be distracted. Similar to when you play Pokemon Go, there are constant pop-ups which remind users to pay attention to the safety of your surroundings. AR glasses also have safety concerns in this regard. How AR glasses can prioritize and highlight dangers in the real world is an important question that developers need to answer.

With that being said, many companies are working on development and research in AR glasses now. We are hopeful that these tools will push AR to an even bigger platform, and make it as mainstream as smartphones and smart watches.

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