Coles has launched its first Virtual Christmas Cracker using augmented reality technology to bring separated family and friends together for a cracking time this Christmas.
A Coles pre-Christmas survey of almost 7,500 Australians revealed more than a quarter will be catching up with friends and family virtually this year, making the virtual cracker a perfect solution for those wanting to have some cracking fun with friends and family who they can’t physically be with.
For every download of the cracker, Coles will donate $1 to its food rescue partner SecondBite’s Christmas appeal, up to $100,000, to help vulnerable Australians in need.
Coles officially launched its new Christmas range in October which includes sustainable Christmas crackers that can be bought instore and online and are 100% recyclable and plastic free. This Virtual Christmas Cracker innovation goes one step further and means customers can enjoy the fun of a Christmas cracker with anyone anywhere in the world.
There’s a tug of war, a joke – daggy of course - even a virtual Christmas hat that you can share photos of with family and friends.
Coles General Manager of Brand, Digital and Design Samantha McLeod said Coles is proud to innovate digitally for customers who are increasingly using their mobile phone to connect with each other.
“Like our digital catalogue, we are certainly finding new and innovative ways to sustainably bring Coles to the homes of Australians this year,” Samantha said.
“Coles provides great value and quality groceries to help our customers make the most of their Christmas, and we wanted to bring in a whole new dimension to celebrations this year. While some domestic and international borders in Australia have opened, many families and friends are still separated. The virtual Christmas Cracker gives them a fun way to connect. It’s bringing a very special Christmas tradition to many more people and we are proud that for every cracking download we’ll be donating funds to the Coles Secondbite Christmas appeal to help support Aussies doing it tough.”
How it works
When talking to family and friends on video chat, grab a mobile phone, launch the Coles Virtual Cracker, and invite a challenger by sending an invite using your preferred messaging app.
After the challenger taps on the invite, they will grab the other end of the augmented reality Christmas cracker.
Then, each player will swipe their mobile screen with their finger back and forth when prompted until the cracker cracks.
After the winner is determined, both players will have a joke to share, with the winner having the option to take a selfie with a cracker hat and the loser a selfie with a ripped cracker hat.
Technology
The Coles Virtual Cracker is accessed through Android or iPhone using abrowser. The cracker utilises augmented reality and the mobile device's gyroscope to provide an immersive experience. The joke is randomly selected, and the winner can try on their cracker hat and take a selfie.
The mobile-only experience allows two people to grab the end of a virtual cracker and crack it no matter where in the world they are. The experience replicates the traditional Christmas cracker complete with a joke and hat you can try on.
Credits
Coles
Chief Marketing Officer: Lisa Ronson
General Manager – Brand, Digital & Design: Samantha McLeod
General Manager – Media & Sponsorship: Kate Bailey
Head of Digital Marketing: Eve Ireland
Senior Marketing Manager – Acquisition & Engagement: Stephanie Oh
Senior Marketing Manager – Digital Product: Georgia Oliver
Social Media Manager: Bridie McKenna Parry
SecondBite: Charity partner
DDB: Creative agency
TribalAustralia: Digital agency
Zebrar: Production agency
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