“As a brand, it is important for Engen to move into exciting, innovative spaces where it can engage customers and interact with them.”
- Dumisani Bengu, Retail Business Manager, Engen Petroleum Limited

Engen, the country’s favourite petroleum brand*, embarked on a digital and augmented reality marketing campaign in September, setting a new standard for how the business is set to engage and interact with its customers going forward.

Available at participating Engen QuickShops until 23 November 2015, customers who spend R30 or more receive a till slip with a Zapcode printed on it. They then download the Zappar app (if they haven’t already), scan the code, and open up the ultimate mobile racing game - custom-developed for Engen.

Called Rocket Racer, the customer is able to select the car of the week and then manipulate it around various obstacles to either “fill their tank” or indeed, “run out of petrol” and retry. The game offers users the chance to play, better their last score, share their score on their social media pages, compete with other players on the live leader board and win weekly prizes. Prizes include: PlayStation 4s, PS4 extra controllers, PS4 wireless headphones and PS4 games.

Engen Retail Business Manager, Dumisani Bengu says as a brand, it is important for Engen to move into exciting, innovative spaces where it can engage customers and interact with them.  “It is why we have partnered with Zappar to create an experience that will endear our younger customers to the brand,” says Bengu.

The campaign is supported by a 15” television commercial, which can be viewed at
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bcJmZycdq8o. It is also being flighted extensively on DSTV and SABC. Each week sees the release of a new zapcode, which gives shoppers access to new cars and new tracks for their Rocket Racers to try.

The campaign has rolled out nationwide – and is already one of the most successful Zappar
campaigns to date recording just under 14 000 plays in the first 10 days of the campaign.

Joe Mahlo, General Manager: Engen Sales and Marketing, says Rocket Racer is the first of many similar campaigns. “As a company, Engen is committed to heightening our use of digital platforms,” he adds.

What’s Zappar?
Zappar is one of the world’s leading augmented reality solution providers. Boasting just under 2.5 million customers with access to the technology in South Africa alone, Zappar uses a smartphone’s camera view to scan what has become a highly recognizable code (the QR code on steroids), which then unlocks additional value in the form of 3D animation, gamification or more simply, video, audio, social media sharing, interactive selfie-functionalities and so on.

In Africa, Zappar is represented by IMDM, a full-service digital agency based in Centurion, Pretoria with offices in Cape Town, Stellenbosch, Lagos and Accra. It specializes in providing innovative mobile solutions and technologies to brands - whilst supporting below and above-the-line digital campaigns through clear strategy, creativity, great animation, design and personalized execution in the fields of social media, ORM, animation, web development, e- and m-commerce and various mobile applications.

* as voted in the 2015 Sunday Times Top Brands and 2015 Sunday Times Generation Next surveys.