Moe?s Southwest Grill cooks up AR art installations to drive loyalty
Fast casual restaurant chain Moe?s Southwest Grill is encouraging diners to use their smartphones to interact with art on display in its locations and launch an augmented reality experience enabling them to play onion drums and watch bees buzz.
Six pieces of art are expected to be in the chain?s 650 locations by the end of year. Customers can open Moe?s new Rockin? Rewards loyalty application while at a location to engage with the art and bring different ingredients to life.
?We believe food should be fresh, delicious and fun ? this new iteration of our artwork allows customers to better experience our brand through the combination of food, art and music,? said Dominic Losacco, vice president of marketing at Moe?s.
?Augmented reality provides a platform that brings our food to life, allowing guests to engage right from their mobile phone while visiting our restaurants,? he said.
?We always encourage our guests to play with their food, and the implementation of this technology adds another layer of that experience for our customers.?
Foodstock
The in-restaurant artwork depicts landscapes made with the same fresh ingredients used in the chain?s dishes, which Moe?s is calling ?foodscapes.? The art was created by Carl Warner.
The artwork also pays tribute to music pioneers.
The augmented reality aspect will launch with Foodstock, a salute to legendary music festival Woodstock. Eventually, the AR aspect will be incorporated into all of the pieces.
Customers with the Rockin? Rewards loyalty app can open the app and point it at the art bring the ingredients to life on their phones.
Diners can leverage the AR feature to play the onion drums, see bees buzz and create melodies with various food combinations.
Playing with food
The goal of the effort to pay tribute to the brand?s heritage ? the Moe?s name stands for musicians, outlaws and entertainers ? while emphasizing the chain?s use of fresh ingredients that customers can combine in any way they want.
Moe's recently launched rewards app, Moe's Rockin' Rewards, allows users to track points and progress, order online, access nutrition facts and receive tailored offers.
The phenomenal success of Pokemon Go points to the interest in leveraging smartphones and augmented reality to engage with the real world. The key for marketers is to ensure the experience is engaging and entertaining while adding value.
?Customers will be able to access the augmented reality experience by opening the Moe?s Rockin? Rewards app and holding their phone in front of the different foodscapes, bringing the imagery to life in front of their eyes ? the imagery will move on its own, and also give users the chance to create music by playing the onion drums, reveal hidden aspects of the art and more,? Mr. Losacco said.
?Customers will be able to engage with our food and enjoy the connection between food, music, art, and our brand that makes us who we are,? he said.