Salute to Summer AR Performance
Strategically blending entertainment, technology, and military branding to create a memorable interaction with Gen Z
The Objective
To help the U.S. Army’s recruitment efforts by creating meaningful connections with Gen Z.
The Strategy
In the summer of 2023, the U.S. Army and NBCUniversal joined forces to pioneer a unique initiative aimed at establishing a genuine connection with Gen Z. This groundbreaking endeavor unfolded as a first-of-its-kind mixed-reality musical experience featuring Nick Jonas, illustrating how the U.S. Army embodies the spirit of 'Be All You Can Be.'
Campaign Overview
Nick Jonas performed an interactive rendition of the hit song "This is Heaven" in augmented reality (AR) that users could experience directly from their smartphones. The personalized experience allowed our audience to uniquely interact with the AR, customizing where and how they viewed the one-to-one performance. Strategically promoted across NBCUniversal and various talent platforms, the performance achieved remarkable fan engagement.
The AR experience seamlessly blended Nick Jonas' performance with U.S. Army branding, epitomizing the Salute to Summer campaign messaging. Designed with interactivity and shareability in mind, the AR experience enhanced brand affinity by catering to Gen Z's desire for unique participatory experiences, encouraging them to share these moments with their peers.
The Results
The customized experience set the stage for remarkable engagement. The promotional creative spotlighted the unique experience featuring A-list talent, and was enhanced by a strategic rollout plan and branding meticulously tailored to resonate with Gen Z. The QR code scan rate on the Peacock Pause ad was 6x higher than streaming norms. A QR code also ran during a Salute to Summer Peacock special featuring Nick, and the in-special call-to-action and QR code were 39% more emotionally engaging than other standard streaming ads. Notably, one in six people who saw the ad proceeded to scan the code. The impact on Instagram was not just in numbers but in meaningful engagement. The ads demonstrated a remarkable increase in effectiveness driving clicks to the AR experience, showcasing the power of our compelling social creative with click-through rates 54% higher than Instagram's norms.
The AR experience captivated the audience, creating an electrifying connection. On average, people enthusiastically engaged with it 1.75 times, and two out of three viewers replayed it for another round of excitement. Our groundbreaking strategy, unmatched creativity, and unparalleled AR experience guided more people to the U.S. Army's website. The 'Visit GoArmy.com' button had a click-through rate 50% higher than the industry norm – a testament to the magnetic allure of our campaign.
The AR experience commanded attention and held viewers spellbound, creating an unbreakable bond with the content. The numbers tell an exhilarating story of success: 81% expressed sheer enjoyment, 98% found it uniquely captivating, and 91% are now clamoring for more of these mind-blowing experiences.