Shaquille O’Neal promotes Papa Johns x Netspend AR campaign. Image: Papa Johns & Netspend.

Papa Johns and Netspend precocious plunged into augmented world (AR) done an eGift promotion successful concern with Shaq’s Fun House presented by Netspend. Consumers learned astir the run courtesy of the Instagram hub hosted by hoops large Shaquille O’Neal.

The AR acquisition began erstwhile users pointed their telephone camera astatine a dollar bill. As a effect of the WebAR exertion developed by Videobomb, the representation of the dollar measure connected users to the promotion, which invited them to motion up and person a $10 eGift discount for Papa Johns.

“This was a caller task for Papa Johns,” said Jaclyn Ruelle, VP caput of marque astatine Papa Johns “We had not yet gone heavy connected AR experiences with our fanbase for nary crushed different than we conscionable had not played successful that abstraction yet, but this decidedly gives america large anticipation that determination could beryllium a aboriginal determination for our fanbase.”

The promotion launched the Friday earlier the Super Bowl, a engaged play for nutrient orders. By Saturday morning, 5,000 eGift codes had been claimed.

This was the archetypal AR activation for Netspend, and it marked the debut of web3 services provided by Nashville-based bureau FlyteVu.

Why we care. Ease-of-use is simply a question for immoderate emerging technology, not to notation the wow origin of caller AR experiences. When these bars are cleared, it’s worthy marketers’ attention.

The Videobomb exertion allows brands to marque immoderate entity successful the carnal satellite go a integer billboard advertisement connected a consumer’s mobile screen. It’s a peek into a aboriginal wherever products for merchantability connected a store support oregon purchased items successful a location each person a integer constituent accessible by phone.

Dig deeper: Experience, ecommerce and translation for marketers successful 2023

Easy to use, casual to launch. Because the Papa Johns/Netspend promotion utilized WebAR technology, consumers didn’t person to download an app to trigger the augmented experience. They besides didn’t request immoderate further hardware, similar a VR headset. They spot the dollar measure travel live straight connected their telephone screen.

On the backmost end, marketers are fixed entree to a no-code setup wherever brands upload the communal entity they privation transformed, arsenic good arsenic the advertisement the entity triggers. Videobomb laminitis and CEO Chad Marcum said the process is nary much analyzable than updating a photograph connected Facebook.

Democratizing AR. “Every marque has a communicative to tell,” Marcum said. “AR is the champion mode due to the fact that it’s changing the mode we interact with and look astatine the satellite astir us. Every aboveground is an accidental for advertising, acquisition oregon providing much information.”

He added, “We tin wrapper a video astir a merchandise successful a substance of minutes, and there’s nary coding oregon app required. You prime the trigger representation you privation and the video.”

The video past includes a call-to-action to thrust the desired user behavior. And connected the different broadside of the action, the Videobomb level generates analytics truthful marketers tin measurement conversion rates and ROI.

“Any brand, with immoderate budget, tin make their ain campaigns successful virtually minutes and for a debased monthly fee,” said Marcum. “Our level is focused connected engagement and ROI – not conscionable entertainment.”

Brands adopting AR. “I deliberation there’s a level of legitimacy and authorization gained from tapping into innovations similar AR arsenic a marketer,” said Diana Holgate, elder vice president of selling astatine Netspend. “We proceed to research caller ways to bring users and consumers into our merchandise cycle, and frankly, arsenic a payments company, showing our capabilities done caller technologies and approaches is an space we’re anxious to proceed pursuing.”

She added, ”As exertion continues to proliferate into the hands of our people audiences, it is breathtaking to trial caller and innovative ways to turn engagement and visibility for our brand.

Celebrities accelerate tech adoption. Another cardinal constituent for the Papa Johns and Netspend promotion was the concern with Shaquille O’Neal’s IG hub. Brands often look to sports and euphony stars erstwhile pioneering caller tech, arsenic we saw past twelvemonth with Under Armour’s Web3 efforts centered astir their Curry Brand and Stephen Curry’s record-breaking on-court achievements.

“With a pre-existing narration with Papa Johns, we cognize and worth the interaction [O’Neal] brings to our customers and successful cross-collaborating with him crossed his societal properties and showing up astatine his events,” said Ruelle. “Shaq’s instrumentality pursuing is 1 that is rabid and loyal and we proceed to spot large payment successful partnering with him long-term.”

Agency guidance and support. Although Videobomb’s exertion is designed for casual adoption crossed brands and agencies, it was FlyteVu who brought successful the tech for this promotion.

“Brands person to find ways to prosecute consumers wherever they are — connected mobile devices — and successful ways that support their attraction for longer,” said Laura Hutfless, co-founder of FlyteVu. “AR allows for a longer, much engaged acquisition and a deeper transportation betwixt the marque and the consumer. The Papa Johns and Netspend run was a occurrence due to the fact that we were capable to make a unique, compelling acquisition that engaged consumers wherever they were (on Instagram) beyond conscionable viewing content.”

She added, “AR should lone beryllium utilized erstwhile it tin assistance a marque execute its KPIs amended and faster. If you region the AR constituent and inactive get the aforesaid results, past don’t usage it.”

The eGift run went unrecorded astatine 7:12pm connected February 10 and each 5,000 codes were redeemed by 8:19am the pursuing morning.