Adidas’ AR activation drops shoppers into a trash-filled virtual ocean

Brief:

Adidas is hosting a gamified augmented reality (AR) experience at its flagship store in Paris this holiday season to highlight environmental sustainability. The sportswear brand helped to develop the App For The Oceans, which showcases how its shoes are made from recycled plastic, according to a press release shared with sister publication Mobile Marketer.
In-store shoppers who have the Adidas app on their smartphone will receive a notification that directs them to open the mobile platform. They can then point their cameras at digital displays around the store to view a virtual ocean in which a whale swims around and collects plastic floating in the water. After users help to collect the ocean debris, they can watch how Adidas converts plastic waste into shoes.
The immersive project is part of Adidas' Platform A initiative to spur innovation, including the latest technologies at its retail stores. The brand worked with creative agency Monochrome and AR developer Eyecandylab on the mobile experience.

Insight:

Adidas' gamified AR experience aims to engage shoppers during the busy holiday season while touting the brand's environmental initiatives when many consumers are especially attuned to giving back.

Eight million metric tons of plastic are dumped into oceans every year, per data cited by the Ocean Conservancy, leading to problems like the Great Pacific Garbage Patch. As a manufacturer of 400 million pairs of shoes every year, Adidas uses a significant amount of resources in its product production and has sought to alleviate waste by turning recycled plastic into shoes. This strategy could spur sales while positioning Adidas as an environmentally conscious brand that aligns with consumer values.

The cause-driven effort is likely to resonate with younger consumers who tend to favor brands that support social and environmental movements. Cause-driven campaigns are often well received by Gen Z and millennials and can boost longer-term loyalty while distinguishing brands from rivals. Almost two-thirds (64%) of consumers said they will buy or boycott a brand because of its social or political positions, according to Edelman's most recent Earned Brand study. Gen Zers tend to feel connected to important causes, and more than two-thirds of the age group think brands should help them achieve those goals, PSFK research revealed.

Adidas is among the brands and retailers that have created AR activations to immerse mobile users in an extended brand experience during the busy holiday season. Italian luxury brand Gucci, department store chain Kohl's and toy retailer Toys R Us this fall have sponsored Snapchat's Portal Lenses, which invite mobile users to step into immersive, computer-generated worlds. While these AR activations tended to focus on products for sale, Adidas is taking a more cause-driven approach that highlights how it's working to positively impact the world.