Ever since it was founded in 1984, Culver's has lived by its mission statement that “Every Guest Who Chooses Culver's Leaves Happy.” Not only do guests leave happy, but during this holiday season, they'll also be leaving with a new sense of adventure with the introduction of an augmented reality experience featuring technology that layers virtual objects into the real world, one of the first of its kind in the fast-casual industry.
From November 30 through December 27, guests will have the chance to play Slopestyle Buttercup, an augmented reality adventure game, to try for an extra entry in Culver's newest consumer promotion, Gift of Adventure, sponsored by Pepsi. Guests who order a medium beverage will receive a promo-specific cup with a code that can be entered online to win the grand prize: a family trip for four to Keystone, Colorado.
The game is accessed simply by downloading the Culver's app on a smartphone and focusing the phone on the promotional drink cup. Guests will soon find themselves skiing down a wooded, snow-filled slope, navigating a path filled with Fresh Frozen Custard and a number of obstacles. The experience is made even more enjoyable by the fact that a darling cow named Buttercup is the adventurer on skis soaring through a winter wonderland.
According to a MarketsandMarkets recently published research report, the augmented reality market is globally forecasted to grow by 79.6 percent between 2015 and 2020. Ad Age shares that brands are actively searching for new ways to expand consumer experiences by way of a physical product. Packaging doesn't have to be something that just holds the product-it can be an avenue to interact with the consumer.
"By creating an interactive gaming experience for our guests, we're engaging them in a unique way that's enjoyable for the whole family," says David Stidham, Culver's vice president of marketing. "This is a great opportunity to deliver on our promise that Culver's is a fun place to eat quality food."
