Opportunity: Ecom continues to accelerate, but digital experiences are inherently different. For all the convenience of shopping online, during the holidays it can lack the magic, the festivity, the emotion of in-store. In our search for efficiency, Walmart also wanted to bring back some of the joy of shopping.

Our idea: We created “Joy Shop,” a never-been-done-before AR experience that empowered users to browse gifts with nothing but their facial expressions. Directly in their environment, users were presented with a series of curated items: If they smiled, nodded, or did anything to the affirmative, we recorded the product as a winner. If not, the filter moved to the next product. In the end, each user was presented with a personalized list based on what made them smile and a link to shop on Walmart.com. We drove to the effect from Feed & Stories ads, as well as QR codes on Walmart’s holiday packaging.

Results: After launch, the success of the campaign created an opportunity for Walmart Connect, Walmart’s RMN ad platform, as suppliers including Nintendo, LEGO, & Samsung paid to have their products featured in the experience. The campaign drove a +2.6 lift in intent to shop at Walmart, vs. a +1.8 retail benchmark. The campaign also drove PR buzz, earning media impressions throughout the season.