Rivella digitises traditional sampling with augmented reality solution

Rivella has been using an augmented reality (AR) game at valley stations in Swiss ski resorts since Saturday to distribute product samples without personal contact during a marketing campaign.

Under the motto "At home in the snow", German AR specialist Sensape developed a new way of addressing customers for the Swiss company Rivella. The project makes a contactless product sampling campaign possible without additional staff and consists of an interactive AR game with a linked drinks machine. Since the end of February, skiers in Swiss ski resorts have been able to prove their skill in the game and automatically receive a Rivella as a reward. Since the installation does not require staff, costs can be reduced and the brand values can still be communicated in a playful way, which is also a unique opportunity in the current situation.

Digital betting drinking

The campaign has been taking place in the Swiss winter sports resorts of Nendaz, Adelboden, Flumserberg, Lenk and Arosa since the end of February 2021.

The game is a virtual drinking contest in which Rivella bottles shown on a large display have to be drunk. This works by recognising the person in front of the device, which places a virtual straw at mouth level.

When the game starts, the bottles move and it takes concentration to hold the mouth on the straw by moving the head in order to empty the bottle. "Our artificial intelligence recognises the number, movements and also the size of the players and thus makes contactless play possible. Up to five people can play at the same time. In order to protect the data of third parties, it also recognises who does not belong to the group and makes these persons unrecognisable by means of a blurred background," Matthias Freysoldt of Sensape explains. If the game of the Rivella campaign is completed, Rivella bottles are automatically dispensed at the connected vending machine for all players of the group and a coupon is printed. By scanning a QR code on the coupon, a photo taken during the game can also be viewed on a smartphone and shared with friends. In addition, an extra Rivella bottle can be triggered from the vending machine.

Source: Media release