Tag: Augmented Reality

Marketers have long held the belief that attention is a diminishing commodity, especially among Generation Z. However, attention has not diminished, it has diversified. To manage the onslaught of information they face each day, consumers prioritize content that engages them. For brands, this means working harder than ever to capture the attention of their audience – and this involves rethinking the way they sell and service by using interactive and immersive technologies like augmented reality (AR).

Immersive AR ads have shown to be an impressive user engagement tool, garnering 17-times more engagement compared to static ads, according to a study by Snapchat, which compared shoppable Snap ads to standard Snap ads of the same products. Here in Asia-Pacific (APAC), spending on AR and virtual reality (VR) is expected to grow at a rapid rate of 47.7% and reach US$28.8 billion by 2024. Recent data from Statista also estimated that by 2023, there will be 2.4 billion mobile AR users worldwide, a rise of 2.2 billion from the 200 million seen in 2015. Clearly, there is a demand for this technology.

There is opportunity for marketers to capitalize on. As a digitally native generation, Gen Zs spend a large part of their time on mobile. In APAC, almost a third of Gen Zs spend six hours or longer a day on their phone but at the same time, they are also thoughtful about the ways they engage with the internet. It comes as no surprise that Gen Zs turn to AR to communicate with their close friends, and to explore the world around them. This situation lends itself as an opportunity for brands to engage with them in this manner as well.

Before we delve into how brands can use AR, let us take a step back and look at what makes Gen Zs tick.

Understanding Gen Zs in APAC

With an attention span of mere seconds and a wealth of content available at their fingertips, engaging Gen Zs can be a challenge. As such, it is doubly important for brands to fully understand the unique traits of this demographic so they can tailor their offerings to this audience.

Like their global peers, APAC Gen Zs have a strong appreciation for digital communications and technologies. A Generation survey by Snapchat conducted in December 2020 found that Gen Zs in APAC are not confined to traditional methods of communications, and favor communicating with photos (78%), emoji or emoticons (75%), videos and video messages (59%), among others. They also gravitate towards immersive video and mobile games, including AR experiences.

In addition, Gen Zs are strong supporters of the causes they believe in. The same piece of Snapchat research found that half of the surveyed respondents say they are less likely to buy from a brand that chooses to promote the opposite side on social issues that matter to them. Conversely in APAC, Gen Zs are more likely to shop from brands they support, even if it’s less convenient for them to do so.

There is no better time than now to leverage AR

By 2025, Gen Z will make up a quarter of the APAC region’s population. As this generation of digital natives rapidly warms to the concept of AR, it will become an increasingly important tool in the marketing mix of advertisers.

Consider AR as you would with any tool in your marketing arsenal. The two marketing fundamentals – objective and audience – still stand. Brands will first need to define their objectives and the results they hope to achieve from the campaign, then understand their audience like the Gen Zs. By defining these parameters at the onset, brands will be able to use AR where appropriate to elevate their current offerings to the audience.

There are many great examples of creative AR-powered offerings. One example worth noting is the work done by Singaporean creative technology studio, MeshMinds. They held the city-state’s first AR-powered exhibition Sustainable Singapore, where the AR artwork of 20 local artists used the AR app Artivive to weave in additional storytelling elements to lend more magnetism to their artwork.

Brands in APAC can also take a leaf out of their global peers’ books. Understanding Gen Zs’ need for engaging content, luxury brand Gucci launched its first-ever global AR shoe “try-on” campaign on Snapchat in 2020, where users can virtually try on Gucci shoes on the app. After seeing how they looked wearing the brand’s latest sneakers, users were able to purchase the shoes directly from the Lens.

A one-up from existing technology, AR brings to the table an optimized digital experience that can set brands apart. Advertisers need to view the AR as a permanent addition to their media plan and instead of a mere novelty.

AR will have a profound impact on the future of marketing

Gen Zs are a formidable force that is poised to take over the current active generations. Coupled with their growing spending power and influence, Gen Zs are set to reshape the future advertising landscape in APAC. 

As such, brands need to develop a better understanding of the devices that Gen Z consumers use; where and how they consume content; and the role they wish to have in the direction their content goes. This ensures the impact and relevance of a brand’s marketing piece and goes a long way in building brand love and brand loyalty.

AR is one of the many up-and-coming technologies that brands need to get on to gain a competitive edge. It is exciting to consider how we are only at the beginning of what is possible.

This article was written by Kathryn Carter, head of APAC at Snap Inc.

Singapore – REVEZ Corporation, a Singapore-based business-to-business (B2B) company, has announced it will be launching its first-ever web augmented reality (AR) experience, and it will be showcased across digital out-of-home (DOOH) campaign screens by DOOH media operator PGK Digital.

It should be recalled that REVEZ Corporation had previously acquired PGK Digital to expand its mediatech presence in Singapore.

Through the campaign, Singaporeans can scan a QR code on the screen, which will then transport them to an immersive experience in one of these countries – Japan, Korea or Australia. The public can also look forward to receiving a discount code from campaign partner, Burpple, for Burpple Beyond, a dining membership which offers 1-for-1 dining deals at over 500 curated restaurants. The campaign will run for four weeks starting from 11 June 2021.

By embedding web AR technology in an out-of-home digital screen, REVEZ has removed the friction typically associated with AR and transformed a conventional media experience with an interactive layer. 

Victor Neo, deputy board chairman and group CEO at REVEZ Corporation states that they are very excited to spearhead innovations within the MediaTech space. He notes that web AR is growing in prominence and it requires more than state-of-the-art computer vision, but also masterful coding capabilities to allow the AR experience to run smoothly within the constraints of standard web scripting.

“We want to breathe new life into DOOH advertising by using emerging technologies to bring delightful user experiences. This is a perfect example of how new technology like web AR can serve the community especially during a pandemic,” Neo stated.

Meanwhile, Giulio Dorrucci, founder and CEO of PGK Digital Networks, commented, “Due to the pandemic, many advertisers are seeking innovative ways to demonstrate the effectiveness of DOOH advertising in reaching heartlanders who are spending more within the neighborhood.”

Manila, Philippines – As part of its Asia-Pacific campaign, soft drinks brand Pepsi and creative agency in the Philippines BBDO Guerrero have teamed up in a latest campaign that transformed Pepsi’s soft drink cans into light sticks bearing the colors and figures of popular K-pop group BLACKPINK.

BLACKPINK was unveiled as the brand ambassador in the Asia Pacific region in January this year, following thereafter the launch of the limited-edition Pepsi cans that bore each of the group’s members images namely Jisoo, Jennie, Rosé, and Lisa.

The campaign, launched through augmented reality (AR), is activated through a custom Instagram Stories filter, where the cans transform into the Pepsi BLACKPINK Light Sticks—giving every fan a chance to finally own a light stick and cheer for their favorite girl group.

It also comes with its own K-pop music, so fans could wave their light sticks and dance like they’re in a BLACKPINK concert. Thousands of Pepsi cans lit up during its launch, lighting up the spirits of all BLACKPINK fans stuck at home.

Pepsi-Blackpink-Campaign-BBDO-Guerrero-1

“When we announced BLACKPINK as Pepsi’s newest brand ambassador, we wanted fans to have the full fandom experience especially at a time where concerts aren’t the way they were before anymore. We’re very happy that BBDO Guerrero was able to deliver this,” said Mikey Rosales, marketing director at PepsiCo Philippines.

Said campaign has garnered 2.56 million engagements on Instagram, attesting to BLACKPINK’s massive popularity among its fanbase in the Philippines, one of the biggest and most passionate K-pop fandoms worldwide. 

The campaign’s launch also has a functional facet, resolving the issue of donning light sticks which are an essential part of any K-pop concert-going experience. Normally, a real commercial light stick costs at least US$40, a price most fans can’t afford. 

“We’ve seen more opportunities open up in the digital space as we went into lockdown. And this Instagram filter is something that our team developed to show how existing technology can be made into something that our clients’ fans can enjoy,” said David Guerrero, creative chairman at BBDO Guerrero.

This is not the first time Pepsi has utilized AR technology for its other campaigns, as its Malaysian arm recently partnered with Entropia EXR to to launch a concert in a Pepsi bottle, which featured Malaysian singer and actress, Siti Nordiana (Nana), together with the winners of its #PepsiBoldTalent TikTok challenge.

Sydney, Australia – Creative agency We Are Social in Australia has rallied its support for Australian independent charity The Kids’ Cancer Project with a new pro bono campaign encouraging people to support the charitable cause.

The Kids’ Cancer Project aims to raise money to fund scientific studies that look into better treatments and ultimately a cure for brain cancer, which is the biggest killer by disease among children.

To collect funds, The Kids’ Cancer Project has launched ‘Pirate Day’, a day where people dress up to raise funds for childhood brain cancer research, and was first observed during 2015.

We Are Social has partnered with visual effects company Alt.VFX and through its visual studio T&DA, have created an augmented reality (AR) filter for Instagram, which aims to provide an opportunity for people to virtually dress up as a pirate and show their support online using #PirateDay2021.

The ‘ARRRR filter’, a Spark AR Filter for Instagram and Facebook, lets users dress up as a pirate. After donating on PirateDay.com.au, users can also unlock the special parrot, Rosie, by entering the code in their donation receipt. The filter, developed by Alt.VFX’s visual effects studio T&DA, can be accessed via the @TheKidsCancerProject Instagram page.

The agency has also enlisted TV stars and social media influencers like Olivia Vivian, Ben Polson, and Mel Schilling to join the initiative and nominate their friends to do the same, helping spread awareness of the charity day among their followers and drive further use of the filter and donations.

“Childhood brain cancer is a horrible disease, and one that has affected my family directly”, says Ewan Harvey, copywriter at We Are Social. 

“We are incredibly proud to put our creativity towards a worthy cause and, with our partners at Alt.VFX, help The Kids’ Cancer Project raise much-needed funds for research,” he added.

Shanghai, China – Midea, the global appliance manufacturer headquartered in China, has announced its upcoming state-of-the-art virtual factory – the Midea Thailand Smart Factory – and it has partnered with creative technology company MediaMonks to create an innovative immersive experience for Midea’s customers.

MediaMonks was named partner during this year’s Midea RAC (Residential Air Conditioning) Online Canton Fair, with the aim to deliver richer, and more interactive experiences to consumers, and to give greater clarity and understanding on its brand, vision, and products. The smart factory is only one of the two main projects that the two are working on, with the other being the Midea Vision or what is also called the M-Vision project, a digital interactive platform. Both aim to demonstrate Midea’s strong vision for the future. 

Midea
The Midea Thailand Smart Factory

On the smart factory in Thailand, MediaMonks utilized a WebGL experience to provide customers with all aspects of its construction. To give them a comprehensive view of the innovative construction process, MediaMonks came up with the idea to create a virtual tour to this ‘future factory’. Customers are able to freely explore the facets of the factory online and get a deep understanding of its key features and highlights.

According to Technical Director for MediaMonks Shanghai Ron Lee, the virtual factory environment was achieved with the combination of aerial and ground photography footage built upon a 3D modelling technique called photogrammetry. 

“On the fly through experience, we enabled our digital visitors to navigate across a 3D modeled factory represented in the clean, modern aesthetic of minimalism,” Lee said. 

Lee further explains that visitors can now explore interactive hotspots. Alongside the archived time lapse videos, customers can choose to watch a live camera feed for a real-time look at the factory’s construction, and finally, a dedicated news tab keeps customers up to date with relevant information.

Ramzi Chaabane, also a head of strategy for the Shanghai team, said, “The factory of the future is characterized by the integration of digital technologies into manufacturing processes. The ‘smart factory’ – or Factory 4.0 – aims to achieve further competitiveness and will rely on the convergence between the industrial and digital worlds.”

“This is hinged on existing tools and creativity – sensors, automation, big data, IOT, cloud computing – being propelled, and the arrival of new activities in energy, green products, robotics, molecular biology, genetics adding value and innovation to marketing. This thinking will empower Midea and its partners and help future-proof and create lasting business impact,” Chaabane adds.

The Midea Vision

Meanwhile, the Midea Vision, which is under the air conditioning line of Midea, is a digital interactive platform, which will be the integrated home to all the latest RAC and Light Commercial Air-Conditioner (LCAC) products, as well as core technologies, branding, manufacturing and company information. It will also be including the RAC Canton Fair virtual center, enabling Midea RAC to connect all global business customers closely by utilizing a cutting-edge AR product launch event, interactive live streaming and immersive product experiences. 

“Midea is a category leader when it comes to R&D, manufacturing, and shipping to name a few. The ambition is to build a solution to solve ongoing business challenges and pave the path for the future. The core of what we try to deliver is to allow users to have more discovery moments and information touchpoints to create a seamless experience,” said January Zhang, head of marketing department at Midea RAC OSC.

As part of the efforts with Midea Vision, MediaMonks will also be building Mia – Midea’s holistic AI solution – which will help solve a host of business challenges. In the near future, Mia is targeted to be a tech that helps achieve a variety of things not seen before, such as knowing customer insights and applying them on behalf of every user to improve R&D, and engaging directly with customers and managing manufacturing, shipments, logistics and production lines to improve the sales experience.

Midea Vision is already live and Mia 1.0 has already been launched this month. Meanwhile, the Thailand Smart Factory is slated to open in October 2021.

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia – Food and beverage company PepsiCo in Malaysia has partnered with Entropia’s extended reality arm EXR in creating an augmented reality (AR) concert experience all within a Pepsi bottle, featuring Malaysian singer and actress, Siti Nordiana (Nana), together with the winners of its #PepsiBoldTalent TikTok challenge.

Malaysian consumers can access the AR concert by activating the AR camera at pepsiARconcert.com, which will be available from 16 April 2021. Users will need to pick up a bottle of Pepsi Black Raspberry, and when the AR camera gives them the prompt on their phone screen, they can scan the bottle for the AR Pepsi bottle to load and the concert will play.

The earlier #PepsiBoldTalent was launched to residents of Malaysia 13 years old or above, challenging them to submit a 15-second video on TikTok showing their best talent. The contest winners who will be gracing the AR concert are Bell – a dancer, Syafeek – a singer, and Aidil – a freestyle footballer, whose audition videos amassed viewership close to 1.4 million views each.

According to Jennifer Lee, beverage marketing lead at PepsiCo Malaysia, the newest AR campaign speaks to the company’s objective of a renewed, innovative approach to engaging with Pepsi fans, as today’s consumers want to connect with brands in an instant and feel an immediate impact.

“Together with Entropia, we shifted our focus and unlocked unfamiliar yet entertaining territory with this campaign. Most brands in Malaysia have yet to tap into AR, the new exciting channel of marketing and communications. Pepsi decided to take the tech to the next level, by bringing a concert right to the homes of our most loyal fans,” Lee stated.

Meanwhile, Ramakrishnan CN, partner at Entropia and head of EXR commented that the newly-launched AR experience is a testament to the agency’s commitment to reinventing the ways brands strategize their communications and more so for an experiential bold brand like Pepsi.

“We believe the future of brand experiences is fluid and atemporal where all touchpoints should have a branded extended reality layer over them. The iconic Pepsi bottle was the best place to provide the experience like no other, using AR tech and deliver Malaysia’s first augmented reality concert in a bottle,” he added.

India – Global broadcasting news company BBC News in India has teamed up with AliveNow, a global creative tech studio, for a campaign that sees the fusion of both OOH and augmented reality.

BBC news has launched its very own Instagram AR effect that will give users the opportunity to be part of the BBC News billboard, with the BBC audio track even playing in the background.

The campaign is to encourage its audience to ‘make more of their world’. BBC News said the initiative reflects its ambition to represent all those that come to them for trustworthy, impartial journalism. 

“Through this initiative, we are taking our commitment to ‘make more of your world’ to our audiences in the comfort of their own homes. With the help of this idea, we intend to engage with our audience at a deeper level and offer an honest opportunity to be part of our campaign. For this innovation, we’ve worked closely with the AliveNow team and are pleased with the fantastic outcome. I invite everyone to join in and be part of our campaign,” said Tejash Kothari, marketing manager of BBC News in the Asia Pacific.

The campaign is a first of its kind. The new Instagram AR effect is made available in six Indian languages, and offers three different billboard styles in various environments to select from.

Raghav Sharma, account manager at AliveNow India, shared, “It was exciting to partner with BBC News India to bring to their audience for the first time ever, a chance to see themselves on a BBC billboard through an Augmented Reality filter on Instagram. We hope that users are delighted by this Spark AR experience and tune-in to BBC in their regional language.”

The news company also encourages users to tag them when posting Instagram stories using the new filter for a chance to be on an actual BBC billboard.

Singapore – DIGIX Lab, operated under the services of the Huawei Mobile Services (HMS), has officially been opened in Singapore to help app developers drive idea exchange, business growth and collaboration.

The innovation hub works in the way that it offers a space for developers to connect and experience the full range of HMS developer resources, ranging from augmented reality (AR), virtual reality (VR), artificial intelligence (AI), HMS Core kits and other open technological capabilities. The DIGIX Lab services can also be accessed online, allowing developers across the region to make use of the resources virtually.

DIGIX Labs also operates under a so-called ‘1+8+N’ Seamless AI Life strategy, which is defined when the smartphone serves as One (1) centre, and Huawei’s ecosystem partners connect across Eight (8) supporting Huawei devices to create a fully connected IoT environment consisting of Endless (N) services.

Huawei-Mobile-Services-DIGIX-Lab-Tech-Developer-Inside
HUAWEI DIGIX Lab @ Singapore’s “Experience Zone” showcases Huawei all-scenario products. Developers, partners, and tech enthusiasts can look forward to a series of Residency Programmes like developer workshops, knowledge sharing sessions, and onsite consultation with tech experts hosted by Huawei online and offline. (Photo Courtesy of Huawei)

For Shane Shan, director for Asia Pacific at Huawei Consumer Cloud Service, the strategy system aims to empower tech developers and partners in the Asia Pacific in the mid of 5G rollout.

“The new DIGIX Lab serves as an all-encompassing innovation hub to give developers the boost they need to succeed. Huawei will continue to strengthen our collaboration with partners and institutions in the community and cultivate a resilient, evolving pool of tech talents in the Asia Pacific region,” Shan said.

The DIGIX Lab is divided into three main zones where partners and developers can communicate within the community:

  • Experience zone: An area for visitors to experience Huawei’s “1+8+N” all-scenario ecosystem. This area displays the latest smartphone models, and eight different types of Huawei devices including tablets, PCs, smart wearables and VR smart glasses. In addition, third party IoT home products supported by HUAWEI HiLink are also exhibited here.
  • Engage zone: A multipurpose zone with a collaborative area and training rooms to support community building. Developer programmes such as training, workshops, industry and networking events will be held in this area. Meanwhile, tech enthusiasts or individual developers can also book the space to host community events related to mobile app development.
  • Enable zone: This zone consists of three meeting rooms where developers who are facing challenges while developing an app can meet with Huawei engineers or business teams to get hands-on support. Four debug terminals are also available at the lab to support developers with the resource requirement.

HMS has also recently launched the HUAWEI Developers app, an official open platform for Huawei developers to manage their apps backend system, access the latest developer activities and receive event notifications on the go.

Three community programs are also slated to launch this year, namely the HUAWEI Student Developers (HSD), the HUAWEI Developer Groups (HDG) and the HUAWEI Developer Experts (HDE) to help developers of all levels grow with the HMS ecosystem. Developers in APAC will also be able to sign up for training courses to learn how to deploy HMS development tools into their apps and receive the ‘Huawei Developer Certification’ upon course completion.

The modern age has seen the rise of various strategies to maintain customer retention, whether through their services, or even marketing campaigns to create organic reach. From social media trend jacking to sophisticated software such as digital experience platforms (DXPs) or customer relationship management (CRM) platforms, every institution, every brand tries its best to retain relevancy if you will.

But there is one special platform that takes customer experience and retention to the next level: perhaps one could say one step closer to the customer if you will. 

Augmented reality, the interactive technological experience that makes consumer base reaction with respective brands more meaningful and realistic even to make them feel connected, intertwined like a large network.

What is augmented reality?

Generally, augmented reality is defined as an interactive experience that combines elements of the real world with digital elements embedded in the augmented reality (AR) to create an environment that is interactable with both movements digitally and physically.

One of the most profound successes brought by AR experience is the popular game Pokemon Go, developed by American game developer Niantic. The game’s premise truly embodies the essence of being a Pokemon trainer, as you have to walk in real life to ‘catch’ Pokemons, find the nearest ‘Pokemon Gym’ at the area to battle out, or even stumble across a legendary Pokemon for yourself.

Another popular example of AR technology is what is pioneered by the social media platform Snapchat: face filters. Through the help of AR technology, users can use filters such as the ‘floating heart’s filter’ or the well-known ‘dog filter’ to bring their wacky game on in their social media posts.

Over the years, the utilization of AR technology has been widely used by brands and organizations to bring at least a bit of tangible experience for their customer base. Whether it is a new product, a virtual product launch, or perhaps just another of those social media-based filters, AR has gone a long way from being an interactive experience to a globally-recognized industry.

Statistics from market research company IDC estimate that global spending on AR/VR in 2020 will be up to $18.8 billion, up 78.5% from 2019. From 2019-2023, the global VR/AR market will see a 77% compound annual growth rate.

With the constant growth of the AR industry, it’s no wonder that the technology itself has caught the interest of many businesses and brands who want to get their hands on this engaging technology. But before one could dip into utilizing AR into their next big campaign, one should first understand the development of AR mobile applications.

Augmented reality app development: from the ground-up

The development of augmented reality is based on a mix of traditional mobile app development and expertise in superimposing images and other 3D elements or multimedia within the platform which then responds to the real environment it is encoded with to develop a mixed experience of physical and digital elements, working hand in hand towards an interactive platform.

When developing an augmented reality experience for your business and brand, ask yourself: what are the premises of experience and reach I want to come out of this platform? While AR itself is engaging in its sense, the ulterior motive of the brand or the service and the business you’re providing must prevail.

Think of this: the interactive experience is just one of the objectives, as viewed from a marketer’s perspective. Whether you’re creating an online face filter for your brands’ online contest, a virtual launch perhaps, or even a ‘stay-at-home’ campaign to bring the service right at your fingertips, the AR experience, while uniformly carrying the same interaction, differs on the manner it is being delivered, and how it sells itself organically to the consumer base.

Regardless, most AR experiences are developed under common platforms, which include Unity3D, Unreal Engine, ARCore, among others. 

Brand/tech presence and renewed campaign platform: the whys of using the AR experience

Every brand wanting to take their hands onto the augmented reality experience may have different aspirations on wanting a custom-made AR experience for their services, but there is one common factor that draws them into these platforms: innovation.

The aspect of marketing itself is all about being in with the latest trends of today and keeping in touch with the wirings of technology. Humankind has long since evolved its marketing strategies from traditional media into something more engaging, a touch of the future if you will. And for most brands, AR is like a step into the future, the next generation and medium of upcoming campaigns they have. 

Of course, marketers off the top of their mindsets also think that AR is a unique platform to boost one’s brand presence, and it is truly a unique one. Psychologically, a customer could perceive that a company engaging in a next-generation platform like AR to be a business signal that things are going for the better, which is actually the company’s motive in advertising itself to others. Our progress throughout the course of humanity has been defined as jumping into a more developed concept we can work into, and augmented reality is changing that.

Coming under the umbrella of advertising, AR then gives brands an opportunity to potentially grow their sales organically since AR itself demands a more engaging and organic approach for it to take effect. And with better sales comes better customer engagement brought by greater reach AR has done to its clientele base.

Overall, AR gives brands a unique image that they can portray, an image that speaks of relevancy against the ongoing tide changes of today, a more openly accessible brand that majority of demographics can or actually relate to, and in the current state, a more ‘safer’ version to customers interact with their favorite brands while staying at the comfort of their homes and personal spaces.

So, should everyone try it?

An app developer may always get asked all the time if a particular next-generation platform like augmented reality is applicable for organic reach and customer engagement. The answer is…well the middle of the scales. It all boils down to how a marketing department decides how the campaign will utilize AR in a way that is relatable, accessible, and at the same time, manageable. After all, the general rule of the thumb of augmented reality is that it stays to its core objective: providing engagement and reach for customers and brands alike.

Humankind has evolved a long way in developing unique experiences for humans to appreciate and augmented reality is one of those digital channels. Should the opportunity and time arise, hop on to the trend.

The author is Adam Eastburn, CEO & Founder of Adaptis.

Adaptis is a global technology development company with presence in Europe and the Asia Pacific. The company offers experience design, digital development, and team solutions. Kempinski Hotels, Toyota, and Johnnie Walker are some of its global clients.

Singapore – Chocolate brand Kinder, part of the line of confectionery company Ferrero, has launched a new mobile application called ‘Applaydu’ that utilizes augmented reality (AR) to bring Kinder toys to life. 

Since the creation of Kinder, it has been engaging kids with toy surprises inside its egg-shaped packaging, wheretoys may range from toy cars to figurines of animals and characters. Through the application, it aims to deliver kids an immersive new experience. 

The app, dedicated to children from four to nine years old will feature environments, characters, and stories that are thought and built to spark their imagination and stimulate their ability to learn new things. Users of ‘Applaydu’ can enjoy games, interactive stories, activities, and a lot more.

Furthermore, the ‘Applaydu’ mobile app also provides a family-friendly, safe and controlled environment, that is free of ads nor in-app purchases, as well as parental control features such as activities report and adaptive difficulty to ensure a complete peace of mind for parents. It is designed to be used with the whole family, however, parents can rest assured that appropriate safeguards are in place to guarantee that children can enjoy themselves securely.

“By sparking the imagination of children, and uniting adults and children in play and enjoyment, we believe that Applaydu can play an important role in helping ensure that a happy child today will be a better adult tomorrow,” said Emiliano Laricchiuta, global head of Kinder Products with Surprise.

The app was developed by game developer Gameloft, and has sought the expertise from the Oxford University’s Department of Education in coming up with a set of guidelines to help Kinder’s development of the app, aimed at helping children’s progression by creating and developing a game that utilizes and develops cognitive skills including mathematics, motor skills, reading, and writing, as well as memory.

“We are really proud to partner with Kinder to make this project a reality. It is incredible to bring our 20 years of gaming expertise to the Kinder brand and their beloved toys in order to craft an app that brings a whole new layer of fun to families, by merging physical and digital worlds in order to expand the traditional play experience,” said Alexandre Tan, VP brand partnerships and advertising at Gameloft.

Applaydu can be downloaded now for free from the App Store or from Google Play.