Doing the Worm: Why McCain Turned to AR gaming to promote regenerative farming

“Let me just take you up top for a better signal and a cleaner view,” declares a cutesy big-eyed worm wearing a hard hat. This is Wormy, a responsive brand character who fronts the latest stage of McCain Food’s ‘Regen Fries’ campaign, which educates consumers about agricultural farming… and also sells some fries.

Through a function of the browser-based augmented reality (AR) game, the user can talk to Wormy, the face of ‘Farms of the Future AR’, about how they like to eat their fries as he helps improve their knowledge of regenerative farming.

The game, which sees players grow potatoes to create the largest number of fries, follows an earlier version released on Roblox in 2022. This time, however, instead of targeting younger players, it aims to reach a much wider audience with its messaging.

Behind the AR Game

Developed by lead agency Gravity Road with support from  AR immersive technology partner Rock Paper Reality, the game is one part of the ‘Taste Good. Feel Good.’ campaign targeting consumers across the US, Canada and UK. The initiative has been developed in support of McCain’s commitment to implement regenerative agriculture practices across 100 per cent of its acreage used to grow its potatoes by 2030.

“We think it should be as engaging for anyone to play this game,” explains Sophie Cullinane, global executive creative director for Gravity Road. “We want people to feel in their entire fry journey some association with a brand that is doing good, and Gen Z is more mindful of the brands they are choosing to spend time with.”

In the AR game, players are encouraged, through their phones, to work their way through the planting and cultivation of potatoes to win points and claim branded merch as potential rewards. Meanwhile, Wormy has his own section of the site, where the user can interact and speak with him using their phone as he answers questions about the agricultural process that produces McCain fries.

“You learn much more about how animals can be living alongside in all of our crops,” continues Cullinane, while discussing the choice of a worm as the front-facing mascot. “Because you can ask loads of questions to him in real time, it means that we're adding even more layers of information and reasons to believe to our audience while still being fun and playful.  “You want to chat to him because he's got a lovely tone of voice and also the AI is groundbreaking and super fun too.”

Going global

The idea to use a mobile game was to capture the audience's attention in a place where they spend their time – either playing through their phones or watching content on TikTok. Other facets of activity include live experiences, merchandise, and creator partnerships with Poppy O'Toole and chef Kolby Kash who appear in the brand film.

Christine Kalvenes, chief marketing and innovation officer at McCain Foods, says: “Many people do not know that McCain makes one in four fries around the world. With our scale, we are inviting consumers to make a difference together - their seemingly small individual actions like a simple swap in their product choice, supports the journey to a more resilient food system over time."

The brand’s first global campaign was conceived during an ideation session in New York. Both regional marketers from McCain and agency partners decided to develop a 'big idea' that capitalised on the insight that fries don’t just taste good, but they make consumers feel good, knowing they are supporting regenerative agriculture.

“In this campaign, we are inviting fry lovers to dig in through various playful and innovative ways to learn more and show their support for regenerative farming and the future of fries, and we are rewarding them with free fries, free merch, and free experiences,” adds Kalvenes.

Among the activities is incoming Lois Lane actor Rachel Brosnahan as brand ambassador. She has been tasked to bring relevance and reliability to the campaign.

Kalvanes says: “Known for her sustainability and wit, she helps bridge the gap between McCain’s corporate efforts and everyday consumers, making the message feel approachable because at the end of the day, she is a fry lover just like the rest of us.”

The New York launch of Regen Fries included an experiential pop-up, attended by Brosnahan. This will be followed with new content in which she will help bring McCain’s regenerative farming story to life.

That pop-up experience, held at Chelsea Market, brought the farm-to-fry journey to life. Participants were invited to explore the difference regenerative practices can make over time through fun and interactive experiences, showcasing where their McCain Regen Fries originate.

“If we can educate the audience about the amazing work that McCain is doing, about regenerative farming practice in the process, then we're onto a winner. So, it's building on that brilliant work and making that ‘fry entertainment’ factor very much baked into what we were doing, but deliver it in a way that felt fresh, engaging and specific for Gen Z or Gen Alpha audiences,” states Cullinane.