Nespresso Unlocks the Magic of Alpine Getaways with AR-Enhanced Advent Calendar

As part of the launch of their annual coffee advent calendar, Nespresso Canada in collaboration with McCann Montreal is using augmented reality to get coffee drinkers into the festive holiday spirit. 

As a first for the brand, and exclusive to the Canadian market, the ‘ARt of the Escape’ activation uses A/R to turn daily coffee unboxing into a virtual escape to the mountains - inspired by this year’s box design of a winter mountain landscape. Thanks to a paired QR-code cardlet, drinkers will be able to scan and experience a new lens every day over the course of 24 days, as they open their coffee capsule of-the-day.  

The magical alpine landscape is being brought to life with animation that includes everything from a dreamy chalet in the woods, a playful white dog participating in fun winter activities, and even a caribou with a penchant for festive decorations.  

The campaign stems from recognising that while 2/3 of Canadians look forward to local winter getaways during the holiday season, 2023’s struggling economy has most Canadians likely forgoing the experience this year. 

“We realised there would be a lot of Nespresso drinkers in Canada dreaming about local winter getaways from the confines of their kitchen counter this year,” says Mark Dolynskyj, associate creative director, McCann Montreal. “So, we thought, instead of trying to physically bring people to the mountains, why not bring a sense of wintery mountain magic to the coffee counter at home.” 

It was a natural extension for the brand according to Nespresso. “Our advent calendar provides our customers with a rewarding coffee experience every morning, so why not also add a little more magic to that moment,” says Marig Chapel, B2C category manager at Nespresso Canada.  

The playful interactive experience is being promoted through social, email and in-store across Canada, and is likely to roll out across global Nespresso markets in 2024.