Tag: leaderboard

Air China “Facebook Check Ins”

You visit a popular Asian restaurant in Sweden, check in with Air China on Facebook, and instantly become part of a live leaderboard. The more you check in, the higher you climb. Each week, the top check-in users earn two complimentary tickets to Asia.

Air China flies not only to China but also throughout Asia. The challenge is how Air China raises Swedish consumers’ awareness about this fact. In response, their ad agency Rodolfo creates a Facebook check-ins campaign.

How the campaign works in the real world

A select number of popular Asian restaurants in Sweden are transformed into ambassadors for Air China. At the restaurants, guests are encouraged to check in with Air China on Facebook.

What makes it competitive and shareable

The check-ins are aggregated on the Air China Facebook page, and a complete leader board of the highest number of check-ins and the most popular restaurants is displayed. Each week, the users with the highest number of check-ins are awarded two complimentary tickets to Asia.

Why this format fits airline awareness

The activation connects everyday behaviour to a clear brand message. It makes “Asia access” feel immediate, social, and measurable, without needing a hard sell in the moment.

A few fast answers before you act

What is the core idea of this campaign?

Turn physical venues into social triggers. Restaurants prompt people to check in with Air China, and the accumulated check-ins become the campaign scoreboard.

Why use restaurants as campaign ambassadors?

They are culturally relevant touchpoints for “Asia” in Sweden, with built-in footfall and a natural reason for people to share where they are.

What role does the leaderboard play?

It creates a simple competition loop. People see progress, compare against others, and repeat the behaviour to climb. That repetition drives reach and recall.

What is the incentive design lesson here?

Make the reward perfectly aligned with the promise. Tickets to Asia are a direct reinforcement of Air China’s broader Asian network, not a generic prize.

UNIQLO: Lucky Machine Social Pinball Launch

Here is another cool digital campaign from UNIQLO, this time they are promoting the launch of their new UK store via an online pinball machine (built in Papervision) that is socially connected.

You start with a single ball, but on connecting with Facebook you get a bonus 3 to help you climb the leader board for a share of thousands in prizes.

UNIQLO are well known for their digital campaigns and this once again hits the mark, providing a seriously simple pinball machine that feels so easy to master that you’ll be there, racking up some great brand engagement time over the campaign.

Why a simple game is a strong store-launch mechanic

A new store opening is a local moment. A game turns it into a repeated behavior. If the experience is light, fast, and replayable, it can generate more total attention than a one-off announcement.

  • Instant entry. You can play immediately without committing time to learn.
  • Built-in replay loop. “One more try” is the whole point of pinball.
  • Competition creates stickiness. Leaderboards turn casual play into a goal.

Social connection as a value exchange

The Facebook connection is not framed as “follow us”. It is framed as a direct advantage in the game. Extra balls. Better odds of climbing the leaderboard. A clearer path to prizes.

That is the important shift. Social is not an add-on. It is a gameplay benefit, which makes the opt-in feel earned rather than demanded.

What this teaches about gamification done properly

  1. Keep the mechanic obvious. If people do not understand how to win, they leave.
  2. Reward the right action. Extra balls is a reward that directly improves the experience.
  3. Make progress visible. Leaderboards and scores give people a reason to return.
  4. Make prizes feel real. A “share of thousands” is a tangible incentive that fits the competitive loop.

In retail launch marketing, a simple replay loop can outperform a big announcement because it turns curiosity into time spent.

What to take from this if you run retail or digital campaigns

  1. Design for time spent, not just reach. A replayable game builds engagement minutes, not impressions.
  2. Use social as a functional advantage. Tie opt-ins to benefits users actually value.
  3. Let the format do the messaging. A campaign that is fun is a campaign people return to voluntarily.
  4. Keep the barrier to entry close to zero. The simpler the first 10 seconds, the better the retention.

A few fast answers before you act

What is UNIQLO “Lucky Machine”?

It is a socially connected online pinball game built to promote the launch of a new UNIQLO UK store, with leaderboards and prizes.

How does Facebook connection change the experience?

Connecting with Facebook gives players a bonus three balls, improving their chances to climb the leaderboard and compete for prizes.

Why is pinball a good format for engagement?

It is quick to start, easy to replay, and naturally encourages “one more try”, which increases time spent with the brand.

What is the main growth mechanic?

A simple value exchange. Social connection provides a direct gameplay advantage, which drives opt-ins without heavy persuasion.

What is the transferable lesson for campaign design?

If you want engagement time, choose a format that is inherently replayable, then attach social behaviors to real user benefits.