This article popped up on my LinkedIn feed and caught my attention. In a marketing effort to increase sales, Toys ‘R’ Us in the United States have developed an augmented reality app for children to play with in stores.
The teaser video below shows games and activities that children can play related to products that are sold in stores.
As defined in this weeks lesson, Augmented Reality is defined as “inserting virtual objects and information into the real world, augmenting your experience of it”.
With many children owning their own digital device today such as an iPad and spending several hours a day playing on such devices, is interactive digital marking towards children effective?
I think that using Augmented reality to enhance the customer experience is an engaging and novel way to take the traditional shopping experience to the next level and encourage store visits. It could be an effective way to interact with children and induce in-store purchases with seems to be the intention for Toys ‘R’ Us.
However, there are ethical issues involved, since children have difficulty distinguishing from real life and augmented reality, is it ethical to target children through this method?
Toys ‘R’ Us have stated that there are no in app purchases or ads within the app so there are no chances of children making accidental purchases, minimising the criticisms, however is an AR appropriate and/or effective method of marketing to children?
Let me know what you think! Bec.