In September, Goldfish tapped young talent – “born in the 2010s” young – for a creative effort positioning it as a brand that motivates childhood creativity.

Spearheaded by Zulu Alpha Kilo, the “#FeedImagination” campaign got creative ideas from kids, turning stories into picture books, drawings into murals and billboards and one idea even being turned into a video game.

In the latest way the brand is bringing those ideas to life in big ways, that video game has inspired an in-store shopper campaign and on-pack AR experience, led by The Mars Agency. Parents and kids can enter the immersive world by scanning a QR code on packaging, which launches an AR game that lets them find hidden goldfish in the world around them.

More traditional shopper elements, all of which draw shoppers’ attention to the game, include pallet flaps (see above) with “the snack that smiles back” messaging, as well as display cards, header cards, display arches and custom shippers. There are also social media videos to drive trial and explain game play.

Even though the gaming experience isn’t a solely in-store experience, Paloma Bentes, marketing director at Campbell Canada, says the goal is to boost shopper conversion across the path to purchase by encouraging people to bring it home. That provides added value for shoppers, and consumer insights have shown that family gaming has been on the rise and gaining popularity during the pandemic.

“We looked to tap into this consumer trend by providing consumers with a unique, immersive experience they couldn’t get anywhere else,” Bentes says.

She tells strategy the game encourages exploration, not just completing the game, and increases in difficult across its five levels.

In its first augmented reality venture in 2019, Goldfish engaged Snapchatters on a scavenger hunt with a Pokémon Go-like experience and a media buy that, like this campaign, was also executed by Spark Foundry.

Goldfish is directing its message to parents with at least one child between the ages of six and 11. Bentes says with moms now adding teaching, cleaning, personal trainer and nursing jobs to their resumes in a lockdown environment, the brand wanted to bring them some joy with a fun, family-oriented game.

#FeedImagination also feeds into a Goldfish-branded offshoot of the Campbell Soup Canada site, an “Imagination Hub,” which provide parents stuck at home with resources to foster their kids’ imagination, or to download the storybooks that inspired the brand’s creative.

Through that site, the brand is running an email signup contest until March 8, which gives consumers a chance to win 1 of 3 $1,000 prizes. 

In its December earnings call, Campbell president and CEO Mark A Clouse said its investment in capacity expansion in Goldfish and its chips business, demonstrates Campbell’s conviction in the long-term growth potential of its brands, despite quarterly sales being relatively flat thanks to reduced away-from-home consumption. The brand recently announced it redirected marketing aimed toward snacking options at home.