Pikachu, Prada bags and Phygitalization

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Much like the strategically-placed wine goblet on Kim K’s derriere, Pokemon Go broke the internet. No surprises on the ‘why’ though. This game is undoing what TV and typical video games did to us: it’s making us get off our asses and step outside.

And the Rebecca Minkoff NYC store Carpe Diem-ed the poke-balls out of this one.

Not only did they attach lure modules* to the nearby poke-stops, but they also gave discounts to anyone who posted a picture on twitter with the #RMcatchemall hashtag.

*Lure modules are attached to lure in wild Pokemon to the poke-stop. It is effective for 30 minutes and anyone can use them. 

The reason for Pokemon Go’s big hit is not just because it’s an Augmented Reality (AR) game. It’s also because it is really good. The developers who created Pokemon Go learnt from a similar game they tried to build in the past, Ingress.

But what is AR?

Think The Terminator when he looks at people and gets an analysis of them. It is a digital layer placed over the physical world. And if you think about it some more, AR is nothing but the intersection of the physical and digital (phygital), which is something we’re all talking about in retail now.

Pokemon Go and shopping seem like polar opposites, don’t they? But they aren’t. Shopping is more like Pokemon Go than you’d think: find what you’re looking for and have the excitement of owning it. The tradition of going out to play and the tradition of an in-store experience is held on to in both worlds.

And the gains from each are similar too. It’s not just about finding a Pikachu or a Prada bag. It’s the feeling we get from the action, a sense of community and belonging. They help us discover what we’re looking for.

Go out, search and you shall find.