Brief:

• Jägermeister, the German brand of herbal liqueur, is running a Halloween-themed promotion that lets Snapchat users click on virtual Tarot cards to see their "cocktail fate." Scanning a Snapcode on Jägermeister-branded materials in bars or stores unlocks the "Divine the Darke" augmented reality (AR) experience, according to a press release shared with Mobile Marketer.
• The AR experience overlays a digital image of a Tarot card on a real background through a smartphone. Tapping on the virtual card turns it over to show fortunes like "Trust in your instincts and follow your gut" or "Your fate is in your hands if you dare to go against the grain." Each fortune suggests a way to drink Jägermeister as a chilled shot or in a cocktail.
• The campaign highlights Jägermeister's heritage as a celebratory drink among hunters while positioning the spirit as an essential ingredient for a memorable night.

Insight:

Jägermeister's campaign for Halloween is another example of beverage brands incorporating interactive experiences to boost engagement among customers, especially among younger, tech-savvy adults who are active on social media. In the past year, liquor brands including Pernod Ricard's Glenlivet, Rémy Martin, Patrón tequila, Diageo's Bulleit Bourbon, Ole Smoky Distillery and D'ussé cognac have developed smartphone-based campaigns that aim to prolong brand exposure and tap into consumers' mobile phone habits. These entertaining experiences are more likely to cut through the social media clutter and improve brand recall among ad-fatigued consumers.

Last month, parent company Mast-Jägermeister U.S. partnered with the National Hockey League to make Jägermeister its official shot. The partnership lets the alcohol company release team-branded bottles, display on-ice ads and offer stadium experiences to further engage guests. The brand also expanded its local sponsorship program from the Colorado Avalanche and New York Rangers to also include the Dallas Stars, Nashville Predators, Tampa Bay Lightning, Vegas Golden Knights and Washington Capitals, per an announcement.

Jägermeister, which kicked off an agency review in June, has run a campaign for the past year and a half that draws on its heritage of "spirited irreverence and product perfection" to attract millennial drinkers, according to Ad Age. The brand's website and ads show German supermodel Nadja Auermann and the slogan "Be the Meister."

Despite its recent marketing efforts, the brand hasn't surpassed its record U.S. sales 10 years ago amid greater competition in the liquor category. The brand peaked in the U.S. in 2008 with sales about of 2.9 million cases, per Impact Databank data cited by Shanken News Daily. The entry of flavored whiskies and other shots eroded Jägermeister's volume to 1.66 million cases in 2017.