UK National Lottery operator Camelot has launched an industry-first augmented reality scratchcard this week in partnership with technology developer Blippar. The new £2 scratchcard involves players downloading Blippar’s free app onto their smartphone, with which they can ‘blip’ the scratchcard.
The smartphone will then show a 3D winter scene and give players the chance to play a free game, enter a prize draw to win £1,000 in shopping vouchers, and read about ways to give scratchcards as Christmas gifts.
Martyn Baxter, head of instants at Camelot, said: “We are really excited to be teaming up with Blippar to enhance our Christmas scratchcard range – and to be the first lottery in the world to use augmented reality on our products.
“Christmas is always a busy time for The National Lottery and, in recent years, our players have really embraced giving Scratchcards as gifts to their adult friends and family – for example, by including them in festive cards, or using Scratchcards instead of chocolates in advent calendars. The Blippar experience is just another fun extra – giving players a free game and the chance to win £1,000 in shopping vouchers, just in time for Christmas.”
Jonathan Barrowman, commercial director at Blippar, noted that “over 70 per cent of adults play The National Lottery – greater reach than any FMCG (fast-moving consumer goods) brand in the UK – so it makes sense to partner with Camelot.
“We hope National Lottery Scratchcard players enjoy ‘blipping’ – which allows you to see the world through a different lens and unlock fun, interactive content on familiar, physical items. The ‘blippable’ Scratchcards are a great example of how brands can create impact during the cluttered festive season.”
It is Blippar’s second partnership with a gambling company, after it partnered Paddy Power in 2012 ahead of the European football championships. The operator launched an app that let users scan a £10 note to see an animation of Queen Elizabeth cheering the English football team.
However, the Bank of England claimed that by using currency Paddy Power had broken the law, and while the operator cast doubt on the allegation, it removed the app after the conclusion of the tournament.
source : www.gamingintelligence.com
