200,000 sessions through drive-to-store gamification for Sephora

Sephora wanted to generate digital leads and increase physical store traffic at the same time. The answer was a browser-based CUBE gamification campaign: users played an interactive product game on their smartphone and redeemed the prizes they won at vyndo kiosks in the stores. The result: 200,000 sessions played, 4.2 plays per user, more than 1,000 store prizes distributed — and measurable offline footfall in the stores.

More than 200 B2B brands from across Europe trust UpReach — from agencies to enterprise corporations.

The initial situation

The retailer faced a dual marketing goal: generate digital leads (newsletter subscribers) and increase traffic to the physical stores at the same time. Standard discount codes by email create no emotional bond and go unopened in the inbox.

The technical complexity of the setup: the gamification system had to require no app download (zero friction), govern the prize-payout rate across 1,000+ store prizes algorithmically (no exhaustion on day one), capture GDPR-compliant user data and verify physical redemption in the stores in a manipulation-proof way.

Redemption had to happen in-store — not online — to secure the drive-to-store effect. Linking the digital campaign to the physical infrastructure required an integrated system architecture across smartphone, backend and store kiosk.

The UpReach solution

The campaign was designed as an omnichannel setup. Social-media ads on Instagram and TikTok routed users to a browser-based CUBE application. In the game — an interactive “Catch and Win” format — visitors had to catch falling product elements on the display. The more points collected, the higher the potential prize.

To secure the prize won (product samples, discounts, exclusive sets), users passed through the GDPR-compliant data gate: enter email address, confirm newsletter opt-in. The CUBE cloud CMS governed the prize-payout rate algorithmically — main prizes were distributed mathematically evenly across the campaign run.

The decisive drive-to-store lever: prizes could be redeemed only at vyndo digital signage kiosks in the physical stores. The user was routed to the store via a prize ID generated in the app — the kiosk verified the ID and released the prize. No online redemption possible.

The kiosk integration ran on the same backend as the mobile gamification application — one data pipeline, one GDPR compliance chain.

Setup & Logistics

Lead time 8 weeks: 4 weeks for CUBE software development (game logic, prize algorithm, prize-ID system, store-kiosk backend integration), 2 weeks for social-media asset production and ad-placement setup, 2 weeks for kiosk installation and briefing the store teams on the redemption process.

The vyndo kiosks were installed in the pilot stores and linked to the CUBE backend. Store staff received a structured onboarding for the redemption workflow (under 15 minutes). Remote management of all kiosks via the vyndo cloud CMS: prize quotas, campaign status and redemption figures available in real time.

Campaign run: several weeks. Daily monitoring of the prize-payout rates by the UpReach campaign team to ensure budget evenness.

Results by the numbers

200.000

gamification sessions played

4,2

plays per user

1.000+

physical store prizes distributed

A return rate of 4.2 plays per user is one of the highest engagement rates measured in comparable retail gamification setups. The mechanic creates active return motivation: the next attempt could bring a higher-value prize.

The in-store redemption requirement triggered the primary marketing goal directly: measurable offline footfall in the stores. Visitors who came to redeem made further purchases in most cases — drive-to-store as a cross-selling trigger.

The GDPR-compliant newsletter leads were captured directly via the data gate and transferred to the retailer's CRM via REST API. No manual export, no data loss during connection interruptions (offline caching active).

Key takeaways from this setup

Gamification creates active return: a return rate of 4.2 plays shows that game mechanics substantially extend the interaction time with the brand. The next attempt is always one click away.

In-store redemption as a traffic engine: by allowing prizes to be redeemed only in the physical store, the campaign forces the offline conversion. Users frequently buy further products when they redeem.

Algorithmic prize governance beats fixed quotas: fixed prize odds lead to exhaustion on the first campaign day. The CUBE cloud CMS distributes main prizes dynamically — suspense and budget evenness right up to the last campaign day.

Zero friction is non-negotiable: no app download. The game starts instantly in the smartphone browser. Any mandatory install would have cut the entry rate to a fraction.