This blog post dives into some gamified interactive marketing campaigns. Get inspired to create your own!
Why is interactive marketing and gamification gaining so much traction—so much that more than 70% of businesses belonging to the Global 2000 list of companies have now adopted gamification? Because attention spans are shrinking, and traditional marketing struggles to break through the noise. Think about the last time a brand truly caught your attention through their content. Was it just a standard eBook, social media post, or ad, or was it something that made you stop, click, and maybe even play a game?
Marketers across industries use interactive marketing in their strategy because it works. In fact, studies show that interactive content generates 52.6% higher engagement rates than static content. Whether it’s a knowledge-based quiz, a skill game, or a luck game – all these make audiences feel involved.
In this article, we explore 5 interactive marketing campaigns that drove real results with gamification. Get ready to be inspired!
Interactive marketing is all about turning customers from passive viewers into active participants. Unlike traditional one-way communication, it creates engagement, fosters a dialogue, and builds real connections between brands and their audiences.
It’s gaining popularity because it transforms marketing from something people simply consume into something they experience. Imagine the impact of your campaigns if, instead of just reading text or scrolling past static images, potential customers could click, play, and interact – whether through quizzes, games, or other engaging formats.
Interactive marketing has many benefits, such as:
One of the most powerful forms of interactive marketing is marketing gamification – the integration of game elements into campaigns to make them more engaging, rewarding, and memorable. And it’s not just a trend; it’s a proven strategy. In fact, more than 90% of marketers say they love gamification.
DFS, a leading furniture retailer in the UK and Ireland, takes a fresh approach to product selection by making it interactive and engaging. Instead of relying solely on product guides or descriptions, they use gamified personality tests to help customers find the perfect fit for their needs.
One of their campaigns, the Mattress Picker, turns shopping for a mattress into a fun and personalized experience. Users answer a series of simple questions about their preferences -size, comfort level (from soft to extra firm), and specific needs like cooling features or back support. Based on their responses, they receive tailored recommendations, making the often overwhelming process of choosing a mattress much easier.
The results? Over 28,000 sessions, over £250 revenue per registration within 4 weeks of completing the quiz, and over 900 orders placed from shoppers who engaged with the Mattress Picker.
This is a great interactive marketing example – helping customers make confident decisions while keeping them engaged.
Read the full story about DFS.
Insurance fund Din Sundhedsfaglige A-kasse wasn’t convinced that gamification could make a real impact in their marketing efforts. But after giving it a shot, they were in for a surprise.
For years, they had been running a traditional Christmas calendar experience on Facebook, posting daily content for their audience. In 2021, they decided to take a different approach – partnering with Playable to create an interactive Christmas calendar on their website instead.
The results? Member engagement skyrocketed by 6.5x compared to the previous year. Even more impressive, they collected 16,000 marketing permissions, turning engagement into a real business asset.
This is one of the marketing interactive examples where gamification exceeded expectations – even in an industry that might not seem like an obvious fit.
Read the full case story about Din Sundhedsfaglige A-kasse.
Thorpe Park, the UK’s iconic theme park, knows that waiting in line isn’t the most exciting part of a visit. That’s why they’ve gamified the queue experience, transforming waiting time into an engaging, lead-generating opportunity.
By leveraging push notifications on their app, QR codes on park maps, and in-room screens at their hotel, Thorpe Park seamlessly integrates interactive experiences into the visitor journey.
Let’s take a closer look at one of these campaigns: The Thorpe Park Quiz. Housed in the Thorpe Park Games Hub, this always-on quiz is promoted through QR codes and app notifications, making it easily accessible to visitors. The game consists of five brand-related questions, designed to both entertain guests while they wait and reinforce brand education.
The results? Over 7500 sessions and 01:35 minutes average time spent per session.
This is a brilliant example of hybrid interactive marketing, blending physical and digital elements to enhance the guest experience.
Read the full case story about Thorpe Park.
SPAR UK, the well-known convenience store chain, has found a winning formula for customer engagement – interactive, gamified seasonal campaign landing pages.
A few times each year, on occasions like Easter and Pancake Day, SPAR UK teams up with themed suppliers to create immersive, interactive experiences for their customers. These landing pages feature engaging games, such as a wheel of fortune or scratchcards, offering exciting prizes. But the experience doesn’t stop there. Each page also includes seasonal recipes using ingredients from their partner brands, plus exclusive in-store deals designed to boost foot traffic.
One standout campaign is the Summer Time with Rubicon, a landing page with an interactive slot machine. Players could engage with the brand while exploring refreshing mocktail and drink recipes featuring Rubicon juices and energy drinks. The goal? Keep customers engaged and drive more in-store visits during the summer holidays.
The results? 21% email open rate, 13,000 new email signups, and over 1,500 clicks on recipe links.
This is a great example of how companies can use gamification to tap into seasonal occasions to drive engagement.
Read the full case story about SPAR UK.
Blush, an Icelandic adult lifestyle e-commerce brand, used gamification to open up discussions around sexual health and break the societal taboo around the topic. They launched multiple campaigns – let’s explore one of them.
Their wheel of fortune campaign offered attractive rewards like discount codes: from 10% to a very generous 50%! The goal was simple – collect marketing permissions and birthdays.
The results? The campaign had over 29,000 sessions, more than 19,000 registrations, and 14,500 clicks to the website after the game.
This is a brilliant example of how luck game campaigns with enticing prizes can drive engagement and enable companies to collect permissions in a non-invasive way.
Read the full case study about Blush.
Interactive marketing is a powerful tool for businesses to engage with potential and existing customers throughout the entire customer journey. As explored here, gamification campaigns can be used for many different use cases, such as helping buyers find the right product, make landing pages more exciting, and turn waiting time into an engaging experience.