Augmented Reality (AR) technology has been taking the world by storm in recent years, with various industries incorporating it into their marketing campaigns to create an immersive and interactive experience for their audiences.
AR has proved to be a game-changer in the marketing industry, offering a unique way for brands to connect with their customers. The ability to bring products to life and provide consumers with a personalized and memorable experience has seen many brands adopt this technology in their advertising campaigns.
AR technology has become more accessible, and brands are using it to create experiences that make their products more tangible and relevant to customers. AR can enhance traditional marketing techniques and enable consumers to interact with products in a new and exciting way.
From gamification to virtual try-on experiences, AR is enabling brands to create unique and personalized experiences that resonate with their target audience. Let’s dive into some of the most successful AR Marketing Advertising Campaigns that have created a buzz in recent years.
In this article, we will take a look at some of the best AR marketing advertising campaigns that have successfully utilized this technology to engage and captivate their target audience.
Top 8 AR Advertising Campaigns: How Brands Utilized Augmented Reality in Marketing
1. The Weeknd – TikTok Event
The Weeknd, a Canadian artist, made history as the first musician to host an augmented reality concert on TikTok, in partnership with WAVE, a startup for XR concerts. The event was aimed at promoting his new album, After Hours, and offered a fully digital live experience with changing scenes for each song. Fans had the opportunity to vote for their preferred scenes and share comments, which were displayed live. With over 1.3 billion views under the hashtag #TheWeekndEXP, the concert raised over 350,000 euros for charity, making it not only one of the most-watched events of 2020 but also a remarkable AR experience and an excellent addition to our list of the best AR marketing advertising campaigns.
2. Sony – Movie Promotion
One of the top 10 AR marketing campaigns is the WebAR experience created by Sony Pictures in collaboration with mixed reality agency Trigger to promote the second part of Jumanji, The Next Level. With this campaign, players are fully immersed in the game, selecting their avatar and using voice commands to explore the world and access exclusive behind-the-scenes content with characters from the movie. Notably, it is the first WebAR campaign to use speech recognition and does not require an app for access.
3. The Pokemon Company – AR Product Promotion
The Pokémon Company has introduced an augmented reality app called “Pokémon Smile” that employs one of the most popular characters to teach children how to brush their teeth properly and regularly. By using face tracking technology, kids wear a cute Pikachu hat and rescue Pokémons from cavity-causing bacteria by brushing their teeth properly. The app enables users to catch over 100 Pokémon. The app has been downloaded over 500,000 times, received over 7,500 five-star reviews, and has been reviewed by several YouTubers, making Pikachu the clear winner and earning its place on this list.
4. Doritos – AR Product Promotion
Pepico’s AR marketing campaign “Make Your Play” was launched in July 2021 across the UK to lure music lovers to attend the renowned Strawberries and Creem festival. The campaign involved scanning a Dorito chip-shaped play button to activate an AR experience that led to a 250-day ticket giveaway through DICE, a ticket-selling website. All the coveted prizes were claimed within six weeks, making it a successful campaign for Doritos.
5. Doritos – AR Product Promotion
Christian Dior teamed up with Snapchat to launch an AR try-on filter, in anticipation of the addition of B27 sneakers to their menswear collection. The AR filter enabled users to virtually try on six different pairs of B27 sneakers in real-time using their smartphones, and even purchase the shoes directly from the filter. This Social AR-lens filter amassed over 2.4 million views.
6. Resse’s Puffs – KAWPUFFS
Resse’s Puffs cereal, in collaboration with artist KAWS, has launched a limited edition cereal box called KAWPUFFS, featuring an augmented reality (AR) game. Each box includes a QR code that, when scanned, reveals a virtual portal in the user’s living room. Players must demolish falling crunches while encountering KAWS’s COMPANION figure. The game is part of a weekly competition that runs from November to February, with top scorers receiving exclusive blue-colored KAWPUFFS boxes.
7. Invesco – AR Sport Promotion
In collaboration with NBA player Grant Hill, Invesco, an Investment Management company, introduced an AR experience called QQQ Hoops. By scanning a digital QR code through Invesco’s social media channels, basketball enthusiasts can participate in the campaign. Players are given a virtual net through AR and 30 seconds to score as many baskets as they can, earning them in-game currency worth $10,000. At the end of the game, players can learn how much that currency would have been worth if invested through Invesco QQQ ETF ten years ago. This innovative campaign adds a new dimension to investment management, making it fun and engaging for fans.
8. Pizza Hut – AR Product Packaging
Pizza Hut, a leading brand in the food industry, implemented an AR marketing campaign named “Newstalgia” that combined the words “New” and “Nostalgia.” This campaign featured a range of limited-edition pizza boxes embedded with QR codes that allowed customers to scan and play Pac-Man using augmented reality.
So there you have it – a glimpse of some of the best AR marketing campaigns from global brands.
Which one caught your attention the most?
We’d love to hear from you! Share your thoughts in the comments below and let us know which campaign inspired you the most.
Also Read: 9 Creative & Inspirational Augmented Reality Marketing Examples
