ViacomCBS commissioned a web-based AR (WebAR) experience, which would allow them to incorporate the AR experience within a wider campaign. The result was an experience which spanned various media — AR, video and a promotional website — resulting in a WebAR experience unlike any other seen in the entertainment vertical.

The AR campaign was promoted on social media and on a Sweepstakes microsite. Upon accessing the effect, the user was immediately greeted by a video trailer of the film. Then, the user was taken to an AR face effect, which they activated by opening their mouth in response to the message: ‘Arghhh ya’ ready? Open your mouth for more!” After they opened their mouth, the user found their face adopting the famous glossy eyes and buck teeth of their hero, SpongeBob.

Following this, the user was prompted to capture an image of their SpongeBob look, which they could save directly to their mobile device.

Finally, a call-to-action (CTA) redirected the user from the AR effect to the SpongeBob-themed microsite, which promoted the SpongeBob ‘Where’s Gary?’ Getaway Sweepstakes by encouraging fans to find special codes on a series of retail products in order to find the winning one. ViacomCBS worked with partners in advance to include the QR codes on the packaging of 22 million products, including consumer packaged goods (Lunchables, Surprise drinks, Flipz Chocolate Pretzels, Primary Colors and Chocolate Chip Cookies) and toys.

A key priority for ViacomCBS was that the AR effect was targeted at the right audiences. As a result, the effect was designed with SpongeBob’s target audience of parents with children aged 4 – 12 in mind, as well as superfans of the SpongeBob brand. This required a balance between features, messaging and CTAs to ensure that the content was easy to follow and age-appropriate.