Arilyn Blog – All things augmented

10th birthday bash - Orkla Finland

Written by Liisa Mathlin | 25.8.2023

Together with our partners and clients, we have transformed how brands tell stories. Not only can they engage their audience more efficiently, but also explore whole new ways to utilise their already existing channels and platforms.

How have some trailblazers taken on immersive technologies seamlessly as a part of their mission to leave a lasting impact? Let's find out!

Panda is a candy brand that started a mission to revolutionise the traditional chocolate surprise egg we all enjoy on Easter. Orkla Finland's Business Manager of Confectionery, Vesa Vainio, walks us through how immersive tech is a fantastic differentiator and surprises their audience year after year.

Easter is an important time for Panda®. But we did not have chocolate surprise eggs in our range for some years. When we launched our own Panda® chocolate surprise egg (again) for Easter, we knew we needed to be a little different. We needed more than a chocolate egg with a small toy inside. So, we created an AR panda that hops out of the Easter egg!

In addition to doing something different from others, the sustainability aspect was essential for us, too. We wanted to start teaching kids that this kind of surprise in the egg is enough. 

Children and families have embraced the virtual panda. The time people have spent with the AR game has been unbelievable. We still have a small surprise in the egg with the AR because kids do love those. But maybe in the future, we can leave the plastic toys away.

For XR to bring value both to us and our customers, it needs to add something to a product or a campaign. People won't bother spending time with it if it's simply a gimmick. Tasty candy is our priority, and XR enables us to utilise the candy packaging for prolonged time spent with our brand. We can smoothly add engaging experiences without making huge changes to packaging design - which is not always quick, easy, or cheap. Consumers can quickly and easily immerse themselves in a story on the spot.

Since the 2019 virtual panda launch, AR and XR have become important in Panda®'s Easter season and will continue to do so. We have updated and made changes to the AR panda each year, and it has developed a lot since the launch. The journey with Arilyn so far has been a good and easy one. 

So, here's to some good immersive tech and many more years of XR campaigns together! 🥂

Let's revolutionise your business field, too!