by
Chris Newbould
Vodafone has hidden Christmas elves all over the UK as part of a new, free-to-play and already-live Augmented Reality (AR) game aimed at spreading some festive joy to families and children.
The interactive Elf and Seek game encourages players to scan their phones to see if they can find elves hidden across the UK, and even around their homes, for a chance to win thousands of prizes with VeryMe, Vodafone’s rewards programme.
Dentsu UK&I is responsible for Elf and Seek’s conception and development through Carat UK – Vodafone’s recently retained international media agency, working with sister agency Dentsu Creative who are behind the production, combining the latest AR, geotagging and media technology for a fun and seamless experience.
Players are invited to drop a candy cane as they go about their daily travels in the hope of luring an elf to their location! Each elf that is found is stored in the in-game wallet, with players also having the chance to own them as unique NFTs.
The game builds on Vodafone’s ‘Find Unlimited’ virtual treasure hunt, which launched in 2019. A huge range of VeryMe prizes are available in the new Elf and Seek game, depending on the type of gift attached to each elf.
Maria Koutsoudakis, brand and marketing director, Vodafone UK said: “This Christmas we wanted to do something fun and interactive for families that would put a smile on children’s faces during the festive season. Elf and Seek is interactive, rewarding and gets people out and about for a unique and enjoyable experience.”
Mehul Ashra, head of strategy, Carat UK added: “We were faced with a choice this festive period – put out a big TV campaign, or do something that got people to spend time with the Vodafone brand. We opted for the latter. Inspired by emerging Christmas traditions like elf on the shelf and the rise in real-world family gaming our ambition with Elf and Seek is to create a new family ritual this season.”
Chris Davey, head of creative UK, Dentsu Creative said: “Elf and Seek is a great example of how we can use the power of technology to bring brand ideas to life in vibrant new ways. Combining creativity, innovation, technology, data and media, this activation demonstrates the power of dentsu’s network to bring ground-breaking ideas to life in both physical and virtual worlds.”
