The current pandemic has left many of us reminiscing about the time before CoVid-19 was a thing. Times when we could hang out with friends, dine in at our favourite restaurant and spend time at the arcade are starting to seem like years ago at this point. That is why Pizza Hut had introduced its ‘Newstalgia’ campaign in early 2021. This campaign can be considered a successful AR campaign.
‘Newstalgia’
Playing on the words ‘New’ and ‘Nostalgia’, the campaign is bringing back the past image of Pizza Hut that is sure to spark a memory of the past be it the first time your parents bought you pizza or the first time you ever celebrated your birthday at the closest Pizza Hut.
One of the highlights of this campaign is the limited-edition pizza boxes. These boxes feature a QR code that will activate the Augmented Reality version of the famous arcade game, Pac-Man.
AR Pac-man Game
Pac-Man was first released as an arcade game in 1980 and has become a childhood favourite of many. The game itself has gone through several mediums, from an arcade game to a computer game all the way to a mobile game. Now, it is going to a new platform, an AR game.
Customers who buy a specific Pizza at Pizza Hut have the chance of getting their pizzas delivered in a Pac-Man patterned pizza box. As much as it is aesthetic, this box is also an indication that this box has a QR code you can scan. Once scanned, the familiar game of Pac-Man will appear on your phone and will function like the game you know and love on that very pizza box!
Tips for successful AR campaign
On the topic of AR marketing campaign, there are a few tips to making it successful and we can see them applied in Pizza Hut’s Pac-Man Pizza Box. Some of those tips are:
- Pick a concept that is easy to execute.
The Augmented Reality concept must be both easy to execute and easy to use by the consumer. There is no use in an overly advanced technology when consumers find it a hassle to do. On the other hand, do not go over your company’s capabilities just to seem better than your rivals. Remember, this AR campaign is for your consumers, not for you to brag.
2. Give proper instructions
The instructions should always be noticeable, readable and simple. Like Pizza Hut, the instructions are on the Pizza Box and easy to understand. Scan the QR code on the box and start playing. Simple, understandable, noticeable. Don’t just slap on a QR code and expect people to scan it out of curiousity. Chances are that curiousity will not be enough of an initiative for the consumers to do what you want.
3. Useful, not just fun
It is always a good thing for consumers to have fun. However, if you add a layer of usefulness, the fun doesn’t stop there. Like Pizza Hut’s AR Pac-man game, you can actually play the game instead of a still image. Still fun but now you get a use out of it which is playing a game. Interesting, right? There are all kinds of AR content so pick the right one for your company and the purpose of your campaign.
Not only is Pizza Hut giving you the ability to play Pac-Man at home, they will also be giving away a custom PAC-MAN game cabinet to one lucky winner who posts their scores on Twitter.
According to the Chief Marketing Officer in charge of the ‘Newstalgia’ campaign, this is only the start and more nostalgic items will make a return to Pizza Hut!
As you can see, Augmented Reality can be used to enhance not only your marketing strategy but also fulfil the wants of your customers. In the near future, Augmented Reality may be a common sight. Don’t be the last one on the trend!
Arleta’s biggest mission is for everyone to experience the world through Augmented Reality. Download Arleta AR on Google Playstore now and explore the world with Arleta: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.SayapProduction.ArletaAR&hl=en&gl=US