You may know PokemonGo. But if Niantic has its way, Pokemon chasing will become a gateway to Campfire, a platform build around augmented reality and an eventually flood of new games.
Among the new titles accessible via Campfire is NBA All World, which launched earlier this year. Players can embark on various challenges that blend virtual reality and the real world at thousands of basketball courts across the US.
Campfire is “really going to serve as a great way for our communities to connect and meet up,” said Ryan Griffin, head of brand partnerships at Niantic, the company behind Pokemon Go. “A strategic and fundamental unpinning of everything we’re doing.”
Brands should be play a big role in Campfire, and each of the individual Niantic games going forward. AR ads are coming to Pokemon Go, and next season they’ll find their way to All World.
Of course, many marketers may not have much experience or know how in developing AR. That’s where Niantic’s pool of developers comes in. The company can help marketers connect with experts, who can help then build original AR experiences “We provide the same tools we use for games to let brands build,” Griffin told Beet.TV. “Generally that’s a great way for brands to start…before they go bigger.
Already, marketers such as Nike and Gucci have worked with Niantic to create campaigns that bridge digital and physical retail. “We look at gaming as the tip of the spear for scaled consumer engagement with AR,” Griffin said.
You’re watching Beet.TV’s coverage of the IAB PlayFronts conference in New York. For more videos from this series, produced in partnership with the IAB, please visit this page.
