The landscape of brand communication has undergone a dramatic transformation in recent years. Once content to receive marketing messages, the passive consumer has been replaced by an interactive consumer – empowered by technology and information.
Table of Contents
What are the driving forces of the shift to interactivity?
Several key trends drive the shift:
The Rise of Social Media: Platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter have created a constant dialogue between consumers and brands. Consumers are no longer simply recipients of advertising; they are actively participating in conversations, sharing opinions, and demanding transparency.
Mobile Technology: Smartphones have become an extension of ourselves, providing consumers with instant access to information and the ability to connect with brands on the go. This has led to a more real-time and personalized customer experience.
Empowerment Through Information: Consumers have access to a wealth of information online, allowing them to compare brands, research products, and read reviews before making a purchase. This has created a more critical and discerning consumer base.
Statistics paint a clear picture of this shift. According to marketers’ studies, interactive content’s benefits are undeniable.

Interactive content is not only fun to watch and interact with, but it is also more shareable than static content (38% and 17%, respectively), which increases repeat visitors and multiple exposures.

In addition, using interactive content leads to customers being more interested in a brand or product, increases conversions and simply has more views than static content.
These trends force brands to adapt their marketing and advertisement strategies. The days of one-way, mass-marketed messages are over. Today, successful brands engage in two-way conversations with their customers, establishing authentic connections and building lasting relationships.
Burger King Burns the Competition with an Interactive Whopper Giveaway
Burger King, the whopper of fast food chains (pun intended!), is known for its playful marketing tactics, but their recent ad campaign demonstrated a new level of interactivity and connecting the digital world with the real customer experience. Their “Burn That Ad” campaign focused on attracting the attention of digital device users to promote their online ordering system “BK Express” and directly target their biggest competitor, McDonald’s.
The Challenge:
One of the challenges was to stand out from the crowd, which is not easy in the modern world of advanced technologies and never-ending waves of ads. The other challenge was encouraging customers to use the BK app for online ordering.
The Solution:
Challenges like this are not easy to address due to the fierce competition and the growing number of food delivery options. Therefore, Burger King decided to do the impossible.
Burger King created a revolutionary augmented reality (AR) feature within their app. This “Burn That Ad” feature used McDonald’s advertisements as a trigger. When users pointed their smartphone cameras at any McDonald’s ad (physical or digital), the app would activate:
- – A fiery animation would “burn” away the McDonald’s ad using a specially designed shader.
- – After the dramatic reveal, a free Whopper coupon would appear within the app, tempting users with a delicious reward.
The burning animation was dynamic, with two stages: a “burning off” effect for the ad and a realistic particle system simulating fire embers. The burning animation is cleverly adjusted based on the captured ad format, ensuring a seamless experience.
Burning Results:
The “Burn That Ad” campaign was a global success, generating a ton of buzz:

- – Increased app downloads and usage of BK Express.
- – A Grand Prix award at the WAVE Festival 2019 (mobile category).
- – Nine prestigious Cannes Lions awards.
- – Three Clio Awards.
- – This innovative campaign perfectly illustrates the power of interactive marketing.
How can brands interact with customers?
Nowadays, advanced technologies, widespread internet coverage, and the accessibility of electronic devices provide brands with almost unlimited possibilities to interact with customers.
The digital interactive ads that users can see and interact with on laptops or phones vary from shoppable ads to AR and VR ads.
Shoppable Ads: These ads blur the line between advertising and shopping. Users can click on specific elements within the ad, like an item of clothing, and be directed to a product page to purchase it directly. This creates a seamless user experience and simplifies the buying process by reducing the number of steps.
Interactive Quizzes and Polls: These ads engage users by asking them questions related to the brand or product. The ad might personalize the content or recommend a specific product based on the user’s answers. This approach captures attention and gathers valuable data about user preferences.
Expandable Ads: These ads start out small but expand to reveal more information or features when a user clicks on them. This allows brands to showcase a lot of information without overwhelming viewers initially.
Gamified Ads: These ads incorporate game mechanics like challenges, points, or rewards to incentivize user interaction. This approach can be highly engaging and memorable, especially for younger demographics.
Augmented Reality (AR) Ads: These ads utilize AR technology to overlay digital elements onto the real world through a user’s camera. For example, furniture brands might offer AR ads that allow users to see how a piece of furniture would look in their own homes. This creates a more immersive and interactive experience compared to static images.
Interactive content is king, boosting engagement, brand loyalty, and conversions. Burger King’s “Burn That Ad” marketing campaign has brilliantly showcased this. From shoppable ads to AR experiences, brands have a treasure trove of interactive tools to connect with customers in a meaningful way. Moreover, it demonstrates increasing interest among users who can finally not just watch but contribute and participate in a brand’s campaign as well. This exciting experience benefits brands as well since they have a tool that can impress and engage thousands and even millions of customers.The future of advertising is interactive, and brands that embrace it will win.