Lunchables becomes the first brand to use Niantic's rewarded AR format

Niantic, the mobile developer behind games like Pokemon Go, announced its rewarded AR ad format at Cannes earlier this year. Now, Kraft Heinz’s Lunchables has become the first brand (beyond the Circle K pilot done for the initial announcement) to leverage the format, which is powered by Niantic’s 8th Wall AR development platform.

Rewarded AR Ads allow Pokémon Go players to interact with an augmented reality experience in order to receive in-game items.

“Rewarded AR Ads are immersive, fun and an easy way to reach an audience that we know is looking for more ways to engage with the brands they love,” said Erica Kovalkoski, head of brand marketing partnerships at Niantic.

“Around 80% of our players love the idea of AR ads in games like Pokémon Go. It’s an enjoyable experience for the player and an opportunity for innovative brands like Lunchables to deliver a brand experience their customers haven’t seen before.”

For this Lunchables campaign, Pokémon Go players will be able to use Lunchables food ingredients (like crackers and circular slices of cheese) to virtually build six different objects in augmented reality: a scooter, seesaw, the Eiffel Tower, helicopter, boat and picnic table. When players complete a build, they’ll receive in-game items as a reward. Players will also be able to receive additional in-game rewards through the Lunchables Playables rewards program.

Full story at AdWeek.