How Niantic, the company that gave rise to Pokémon GO, is changing the advertising game with its innovative Rewarded AR ad strategy
In Brief
With Rewarded AR ads, Niantic is blending real-life scenarios with virtual experiences, creating engaging environments that reward users for their interactions.
These Rewarded AR advertisements not only create captivating narratives but also assist consumers in making decisions by showcasing AR visuals that can ultimately lead to increased foot traffic in stores and higher sales conversions.
In a successful partnership with Circle K, Niantic demonstrated how effective these ads can be, achieving impressive engagement and completion rates.
Niantic, the authority in augmented reality and the genius behind games like Pokémon GO, has introduced unveiled its unique Rewarded AR ad concept at the prestigious Cannes Lions International Festival. This format offers users immersive experiences that merge the physical and digital realms, incentivizing them to engage. As augmented reality becomes a common part of daily life, Niantic leads the charge in establishing new connections between brands and consumers through spatial computing and AR advertising.

Utilizing its AR development platform, 8th Wall, Niantic has crafted numerous successful WebAR marketing campaigns for leading brands, reaching millions of users worldwide.
Moreover, Rewarded AR ads offer players interactive experiences as they venture into their real-world surroundings, unlocking in-game incentives. The objective is to captivate users near specific venues, delivering branded AR engagements that yield superior outcomes. Additionally, these ads are designed to amplify brand perception through immersive narratives, support purchasing choices with AR visuals, and entice consumers to visit physical stores for conversion and sales. Niantic collaborates with creative agencies to ensure brands receive top-notch production for their AR ads.
One of the companies Niantic has partnered as evidenced by its collaboration with Circle K. The convenience store chain effectively trialed Niantic’s Rewarded AR ads to elevate brand visibility and promote their latest coffee line. In Pokémon GO, players could interact with a floating advertisement and a 3D model of a Circle K coffee cup using their smartphone’s camera. They were then encouraged to visit a nearby Circle K outlet for a genuine coffee experience. The campaign reported an impressive average engagement rate of 76% and a completion rate of 95%.
As augmented reality continues to gain traction, Niantic remains at the forefront, tirelessly inventing fresh opportunities for brands and consumers to engage through spatial computing and AR-focused promotions. An early study conducted by Niantic showed that approximately 80% of players expressed a preference for Rewarded AR ads. The company projects that by 2024, there will be around 1.7 billion mobile AR users globally.
Niantic has also rolled out a new AR game titled Peridot , which reminds players of the iconic virtual pet experience from Tamagotchi. In Peridot, users nurture unique genetically crafted virtual pets, exploring the physical world together. Players can take their pets on walks, collecting items and discovering new locales, with their walking distance monitored via the Health app.
Read more:
- The creators of Pokémon GO, Niantic, are looking ahead with their Lightship platform
- With summer approaching, Niantic has announced an exciting new NBA game
- Pokémon is taking an Australian company to court for allegedly misusing its trademarks in an NFT venture named Pokeworld
- Pedigree makes its debut in Decentraland: You can now adopt digital dogs within the metaverse
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