The Holiday Run
- Brand
- Ralph Lauren
- Year
- 2020
- Objective
- Engagement
- Industry
- Fashion & Beauty
- Mechanic
- Arcade & Action
- Platform
- Web
- Agency
- Lostmechanics
Objective
With physical retail curtailed during the pandemic, Ralph Lauren was pushing more of its 2020 holiday budget into digital and looking for ways to reach younger shoppers on their own turf — games and livestreams. The brand built The Holiday Run as the entertainment centerpiece of that campaign: a shoppable game meant to hold attention through peak shopping season, introduce the new holiday collection through its collectible items, and funnel players straight toward a purchase. Storefronts drawn from cities around the world gave the push global reach.
Solution
Players guide Polo Bear, the brand's mascot, on an endless run down a snowy city street lined with Ralph Lauren shop windows from around the world. Tapping and swiping, the bear skates, skis, and takes flight while dodging obstacles and scooping up falling ornaments and gift boxes along the way. Many of the collectibles are pulled straight from the new holiday collection, and tapping one lets players view — and buy — the actual item. Points earned on the run push players up a live leaderboard, giving each attempt a reason to run again. The game could be played on phone or desktop: on its own site, embedded on ralphlauren.com, or as an Instant Game inside Facebook Messenger.
- 1
Players reach the game either at the standalone site holiday-run.ralphlauren.com, embedded on ralphlauren.com, or as an Instant Game launched directly inside a Facebook Messenger chat — no install, playable in browser or mobile.
- 2
The player takes control of Polo Bear, Ralph Lauren's plush mascot dressed for the holidays, who serves as the character for the run.
- 3
The bear runs forward automatically while the player steers it, collecting ornaments and gift boxes for points and dodging obstacles and traps that end the run or cost points on contact.
- 4
Movement shifts over the course of a run as the bear switches between running, skateboarding, skiing, and flying, with the player continuing to control the same character through each new mode.
- 5
The backdrop changes as the run progresses, passing Ralph Lauren storefronts in different cities so the course reads as a world tour from shop to shop.
- 6
Gifts collected along the way include pieces from the new holiday collection, letting players view items and click through to purchase on ralphlauren.com.
- 7
Points earned during a run place the player on a leaderboard, with the stated goal of climbing to the top of the rankings.
- 8
The game doubled as a spectator event: on December 18, 2020, streamers played it live on Twitch while the audience won Polo Bear merchandise giveaways, capped by a digital concert from The Vamps.
