Papa Johns and Netspend adopt augmented reality for eGift campaign | MarTech

Papa Johns and Netspend recently plunged into augmented reality (AR) through an eGift promotion in partnership with Shaq’s Fun House presented by Netspend. Consumers learned in regards to the campaign courtesy of the Instagram hub hosted by basketball great Shaquille O’Neal.

The AR experience began when users pointed their phone camera at a dollar bill. As a results of the WebAR technology developed by Videobomb, the image of the dollar bill connected users to the promotion, which invited them to enroll and receive a $10 eGift discount for Papa Johns.

“This was a recent enterprise for Papa Johns,” said Jaclyn Ruelle, VP head of name at Papa Johns “We had not yet gone deep on AR experiences with our fanbase for no reason apart from we just had not played in that space yet, but this definitely gives us great hope that there could possibly be a future there for our fanbase.”

The promotion launched the Friday before the Super Bowl, a busy weekend for food orders. By Saturday morning, 5,000 eGift codes had been claimed.

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

Why we care. Ease-of-use is a matter for any emerging technology, not to say the wow factor of recent AR experiences. When these bars are cleared, it’s value marketers’ attention.

The Videobomb technology allows brands to make any object within the physical world grow to be a digital billboard ad on a consumer’s mobile screen. It’s a peek right into a future where products for sale on a store shelf or purchased items in a house all have a digital component accessible by phone.

Dig deeper: Experience, ecommerce and transformation for marketers in 2023

Easy to make use of, easy to launch. Because the Papa Johns/Netspend promotion used WebAR technology, consumers didn’t need to download an app to trigger the augmented experience. They also didn’t need any additional hardware, like a VR headset. They see the dollar bill come alive directly on their phone screen.

On the back end, marketers are given access to a no-code setup where brands upload the common object they need transformed, in addition to the ad the article triggers. Videobomb founder and CEO Chad Marcum said the method isn’t any more complicated than updating a photograph on Facebook.

Democratizing AR. “Every brand has a story to inform,” Marcum said. “AR is one of the best ways since it’s changing the best way we interact with and take a look at the world around us. Every surface is a chance for promoting, education or providing more information.”

He added, “We can wrap a video around a product in a matter of minutes, and there’s no coding or app required. You select the trigger image you wish and the video.”

The video then features a call-to-action to drive the specified consumer behavior. And on the opposite side of the motion, the Videobomb platform generates analytics so marketers can measure conversion rates and ROI.

“Any brand, with any budget, can create their very own campaigns in literally minutes and for a low monthly fee,” said Marcum. “Our platform is targeted on engagement and ROI – not only entertainment.”

Brands adopting AR. “I feel there’s a level of legitimacy and authority gained from tapping into innovations like AR as a marketer,” said Diana Holgate, senior vice chairman of selling at Netspend. “We proceed to explore recent ways to bring users and consumers into our product cycle, and frankly, as a payments company, showing our capabilities through recent technologies and approaches is an angle we’re wanting to proceed pursuing.”

She added, ”As technology continues to proliferate into the hands of our goal audiences, it’s exciting to check recent and modern ways to grow engagement and visibility for our brand.

Celebrities speed up tech adoption. Another key component for the Papa Johns and Netspend promotion was the partnership with Shaquille O’Neal’s IG hub. Brands often look to sports and music stars when pioneering recent tech, as we saw last yr with Under Armour’s Web3 efforts centered around their Curry Brand and Stephen Curry’s record-breaking on-court achievements.

“With a pre-existing relationship with Papa Johns, we all know and value the impact [O’Neal] brings to our customers and in cross-collaborating with him across his social properties and showing up at his events,” said Ruelle. “Shaq’s fan following is one which is rabid and loyal and we proceed to see great profit in partnering with him long-term.”

Agency guidance and support. Although Videobomb’s technology is designed for easy adoption across brands and agencies, it was FlyteVu who brought within the tech for this promotion.

“Brands have to seek out ways to have interaction consumers where they’re — on mobile devices — and in ways in which keep their attention for longer,” said Laura Hutfless, co-founder of FlyteVu. “AR allows for an extended, more engaged experience and a deeper connection between the brand and the patron. The Papa Johns and Netspend campaign was a hit because we were capable of create a novel, compelling experience that engaged consumers where they were (on Instagram) beyond just viewing content.”

She added, “AR should only be used when it will possibly help a brand accomplish its KPIs higher and faster. If you remove the AR component and still get the identical results, then don’t use it.”

The eGift campaign went live at 7:12pm on February 10 and all 5,000 codes were redeemed by 8:19am the next morning.