We combined GPS, real-time data, and AR to create a first-of-its-kind Snapchat scavenger hunt giving consumers across the country a chance to find the 8 and win the new iPhone 8 on Verizon.

How it worked:

Get clue: Players received clues that hinted at the lens' location and when it would be unlocked.

Right place: GPS pinpointed players to the location of the hidden 8.

Right time: Players had to also time it right. Real-time data, like weather reports, let us unlock the lens at specific moments.

The big reveal: Once players made it, the lens revealed itself in Snapchat.

Snap to win: Players were encouraged to submit the most creative photos for a chance to win.

Innovating AR and the platform

Typically, Snapchat lenses are visible to everyone, so we built a custom solution that gated it down to 30m so that it only unlocked when users were at right place at the right time.

Creative use of data

In order to find the 8, players had to arrive at a specific time. Using real-time data, we unlocked lenses at specific moments, like sunset, high tide, or during rush hour.

Driving excitement and demand

We capitalized on the iPhone 8 launch week hype with our scavenger hunt running over 4 days in the top 8 markets primed for Verizon prospects.

Socially-native immersive experience

A mobile game for a mobile launch…our entire campaign was socially led, with teaser content across all major platforms before launch, targeted social engagement units throughout to encourage game play, and the use of social influencers and employee advocacy to spread the word.

This social-first program intelligently leveraged cutting edge technology and real-time data to create

a new type of brand experience, successfully driving business impact.

Business impact

Active markets saw lifts upwards of 3.38x in iPhone 8 sales (versus comparable markets), generating a 3.42 ROI. F8 effectively drove a 15% consideration lift (4.3x Snap norms), which translates to ~10K incremental switchers.

Consumer awareness

Through this campaign, Verizon reached an estimated 12.4MM prospects, driving short and longer-term impact. In total, F8 reached 19MM unique users, generating CTRs that significantly outperformed platform norms (+261% vs FB, +95% vs Snap) and historical iPhone and Verizon campaign performance.

Consumer response & engagement

Generated an overwhelmingly positive response from the hard-to-resonate millennial target audience (99% positive/neutral). The 362K players that ‘found the 8’ spent an unprecedented amount of time within the game - 31m in the experience and :52s (~5x average) designing lens submission.