Animanca

Objective

Migros, Switzerland's largest retail chain, launched Animanca as their 2012 promotional campaign targeting children aged 8–14. The goal was to create an engaging, extensible digital platform that would sustain customer interest throughout an entire year, transforming traditional in-store collecting campaigns into a cross-platform experience combining physical collectibles with interactive digital gameplay.

Solution

Animanca was a cross-platform collectible game combining in-store promotion and mobile app. In Migros stores, customers received 'magic stones'—amulets inscribed with animal characters—with purchases over 20 CHF. The collection featured 48 unique stones, each representing a character trait. Players downloaded the mobile app to collect stones into a digital bag, accumulate trophies, and unlock rewards on the platform www.animanca.ch. The game included an illustrated, animated attic environment with online games and craft activities. The campaign narrative featured protagonists journeying through time to discover creatures; later iterations incorporated dinosaurs. The platform was built as a cohesive, year-round experiential world rather than separate promotional campaigns.

Results

The online platform animanca.ch attracted over 35,000 registered users. The campaign won an mFWA (Mobile Favourite Website Awards) award.