Well-known chocolate brand Kinder teamed up with Gameloft and Oxford University's Department of Education to create a kid-friendly 'edutainment' app called 'Applaydu.' The app uses augmented reality technology to bring Kinder toys to life in a series of interactive games, stories, and activities.
The app is geared towards young children aged four to nine and was designed to facilitate parent-child bonding. It is also education-focused, seeking to help children "develop creativity and build skills through fun family activities." By "merging physical and digital worlds," the Kinder hopes to offer children and parents a new and more dynamic play experience. In addition, 'Applaydu' is labeled 'Kid Safe,' meaning parents do not have to worry about their children seeing ads or in-app purchase options.
'Applydu' is an example of a major retail chocolate company utilizing AR to offer a dynamic and socially beneficial product that supports the Kinder image and builds trust with new parents (i.e., prospective consumers).
Image Credit: Kinder
What's Driving This Trend
- Edutainment AR Apps
- The creative use of AR technology in education and entertainment provides opportunities for companies to develop innovative products that appeal to young children.
- AR Toy Innovation
- Companies can leverage AR technology for interactive and engaging toy experiences that merge physical and digital worlds, creating new opportunities for play and learning.
- Kid-safe AR Apps
- Developing AR apps with built-in safety features is a way to build trust with parents and offer kid-friendly interactive experiences without exposing children to inappropriate content or ads.
Who This Affects Most
- Confectionery
- Confectionery companies can leverage AR technology to engage young children and offer educational and entertaining experiences that complement their brands.
- Mobile Gaming
- Partnering with brands to create AR-powered apps that seamlessly merge education and gaming can create new opportunities for the mobile gaming industry to target young children and expand their revenue streams.
- Education
- The use of AR technology in education offers new and exciting opportunities for educational institutions to create immersive and interactive learning experiences for students.
