One of the main benefits of augmented reality technology is that ordinary objects in the physical world can trigger digital events. These events range from entertaining to educational in a medium that is limited only by the creativity of the developer responsible for creating the experience.
So it’s no wonder that the NFL and Pizza Hut have teamed up to create a brand new augmented reality advertising campaign. Eating pizza and watching football — arguably two of the most popular pastimes in the United States — have now gotten even more entertaining.
Pizza Hut’s new campaign is accompanied by a mobile app dubbed “Beanbag Blitz.” In it, fans can unlock the AR experience by — you guessed it — training their smartphone camera on the cardboard pizza box. Two players can then compete in a beanbag tossing game by flicking their finger across the screen of their phone, a la Pokemon Go.
Zipporah Allen, chief marketing officer, Pizza Hut, U.S. made the following comment:
“We tapped into technology to deliver a truly immersive gameday experience to fans, specifically combining what they’re most passionate about: their team, the spirit of competition, and of course, pizza. Incorporating this AR component into our lineup of new experiences is broadening our digital portfolio and engaging fans in a completely new way.”
What tossing beanbags has to do with football or pizza is anybody’s guess. One wonders if kicking field goals might have been more appropriate for a football-themed advertising partnership with the NFL.
Still, Pizza Hut gets their due respect for pioneering the use of augmented reality in the fast food industry. As the official pizza sponsor of the NFL, they have considerable responsibility to promote the upcoming season, especially as the NFL has experienced a declining viewership over the past few years.
Will this augmented reality campaign be what kicks off the return of glory for America’s favorite past time? Only time will tell. But in the mean time, it’s likely that we’ll be giving these pizza boxes a thorough review here at the Lucyd office.
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What do you think about the NFL’s partnership with Pizza Hut for this augmented reality campaign? Let us know in a comment!
