Hello. This is the UniqueGood Experience Trend Letter. Today, we want to talk about experiences that transcend the boundaries between reality and the virtual world. The 'metaverse,' you ask? No. It's 'ARG (Alternate Reality Game).' Some of you might be hearing the term ARG for the first time. As the name suggests, it has strong gaming elements, but recently it's been utilized as a marketing tool across various fields including games, entertainment, and tourism.
First, let's briefly go over what ARG is.
What is ARG (Alternate Reality Game)?
'ARG (Alternate Reality Game)' refers to a type of game where participants solve events based on the assumption that fictional events have occurred in reality. While these are fictional events, the information that makes up the events must be carefully constructed to give participants a sense of authenticity and encourage immersion.
For example, Realworld's content 'Seongdo Academy' created a sense of reality through various elements like student diaries, apps, and websites. In particular, the homepage of the fictional magic school 'Seongdo Academy' featured content you'd expect to find at a real school, such as notice boards and faculty introduction menus. This allows participants to feel that 'Seongdo Academy' actually exists and become immersed in the mysterious events happening at this magic school.
And hidden within this information are clues to solve the events. When experiencing ARG, you often discover clues in ways like inverting the colors of an ordinary image to reveal a code, or rearranging seemingly meaningless strings of characters to find a login password. How you place these clues, commonly called 'breadcrumbs,' can affect participants' level of immersion.
In this way, ARG breaks down the boundaries between reality and fiction, providing the fun of uncovering secrets, and is also great material for going viral as it stimulates people's curiosity. So let's look at ARG cases that are frequently used as marketing techniques.
Uncover the Hidden Secrets in the Game World: 'Poppy Playtime' ARG
In a dark room, a computer monitor is lit up. The characters on the monitor are smiling brightly, but they're somehow eerily distorted. What files might be in this computer? And how do you open those files? And what do they contain? Participants must solve these mysteries.
'Poppy Playtime' is a horror game created by American YouTube content creator ZAMination Productions after establishing a company called Mob Entertainment. Chapter 1 was released on October 13, 2021, and since then, ARGs have been consistently conducted before new chapters and spin-off games are released to maintain players' interest. This ARG was conducted in winter 2023 in conjunction with the release of 'Chapter 3: Deep Sleep,' taking the form of uncovering hidden settings and stories within the game.
From searching for passwords to log into computers to decoding passwords for individual files, participants must dig through clues hidden throughout websites and videos. Even if you work hard to figure out a password and obtain an image file, only to find that the important parts have been deleted, you haven't reached a dead end. For example, if you maximize the image brightness, hidden clues appear. Now it's time to go find other clues.
While this 'Poppy Playtime' ARG ended in December 2023, it drew enthusiastic responses from countless participants by revealing clues hidden in the game's world through the ARG format. The teaser video for Chapter 3, which included ARG elements, reached 14 million views, appealing even to general audiences with no interest in games.
The Film 'Concrete Utopia': Transmedia Marketing Combining ARG and Pop-up Stores
Not just in games, but in the film industry, which utilizes interesting worldviews and settings, ARG can be used as an effective marketing tool. The film 'Concrete Utopia,' released in summer 2023, is set in 'Hwanggung Apartments,' the only building that didn't collapse in Seoul after it was turned into ruins overnight by a major earthquake. Along with the film's release, an interesting promotion planned by Realworld was conducted. An ARG called 'Hwanggung Apartments Residency Application' was conducted on an online homepage for people trying to enter the apartments, the only shelter available.
The Hwanggung Apartments homepage was structured with menus like notices and residents' association, similar to other apartment community sites. The realistic composition and visuals made participants feel as if Hwanggung Apartments actually existed. And after completing missions while conversing with characters, you could obtain the residency application password.
And it didn't end with online ARG but took the form of transmedia marketing that connected to offline pop-up stores. Screening tickets were distributed through a lottery among those who completed the residency application, and pop-up stores were set up at the screening venues to naturally guide people from online to offline.
The pop-up store at Lotte Cinema World Tower was packed not only with screening winners but also with numerous people wanting to enjoy content that was only playable at the pop-up store. According to the results data, about 20,000 people participated in the online ARG, and approximately 3,000 people visited the offline pop-up store.
Why Use ARG as a Marketing Tool?
Why do various companies use ARG as a marketing tool? Because it can be operated flexibly. If you have a limited budget, you can run a campaign using only web pages. If you lack even the time and budget to set up a website, you can use SNS platforms like Instagram, X (formerly Twitter), or blogs. Conversely, if budget allows, you can utilize live-action videos featuring actors or interactive elements like puzzles.
Another advantage is that participants who join through ARG can be converted to your company's services. Realworld's 'Concrete Utopia' ARG case was also an example of naturally guiding participants to offline pop-up stores.
Of course, there are also points to be mindful of. If you're trying to use ARG for marketing but conduct it too secretly, participants might not realize it's a corporate promotion. So when conducting ARG for marketing purposes, information is often provided, such as distributing press releases along with the campaign launch. Recently, operators sometimes take on the role of 'puppet master' to conduct ARG, so please keep this in mind.
In March 2024, Realworld operates an ARG called 'Amy & John Detective Agency,' featuring Amy and John, the protagonists of the game, to promote 'Redmare Mystery Hotel,' content at the offline space 'Realworld Seongsu.' Clues are hidden on the detective duo's detective agency homepage for participants, and combining these clues reportedly allows you to obtain discount coupons for 'Redmare Mystery Hotel.'
Today, we explored ARG, a unique experience that crosses the boundaries between reality and the virtual world. I think ARG's vitality continues because the fun is maximized when people share unsolved mysteries with each other and feel satisfaction each time they solve problems. I hope the appeal of ARG, which stimulates people's curiosity and leads to voluntary participation, will continue in the future.