Why brands put games into campaigns
People glance at a banner. They can spend minutes with a game. People who play spend real time with the brand, its characters and its products, and they choose to do it. That is the first reason brands keep coming back to games.
The second reason is the return visit. With daily tasks, levels or a weekly ranking, people have a reason to open the app again tomorrow. Many brands use that habit to bring customers back to the shop.
The third reason is data. When people log in to play, the brand learns which products they buy, when they come back and which prizes they care about. With proper consent, the team can use that data in the next campaign.
The fourth reason is the link to sales. In many Polish campaigns people play with a code from a pack or a receipt. With each purchase they get another go, so the brand links the game and the shelf in one mechanic.
How brands use games: examples from Poland and abroad
All the examples below come from public sources such as press releases, campaign rules and trade press. We picked them because each one shows a different mechanic that agencies can learn from.
Żabka: Żabu, Triki and Żabka Run
Żabka has built several games around its Żappka app. In December 2022 Żabka announced Żabu, a tamagotchi style frog that lives in the app. Users feed it, bathe it, play with it and put it to sleep. The frog levels up as people shop and collect points, and there are rewards such as free products and discounts at chosen levels. Żabka said it designed the game together with Żappka users, who helped pick the character and its name. The first test ran with 5,000 players before the wider launch.
In 2026 Żabka went further with Triki, a small Bluetooth controller shaped like a bottle cap that connects to a games zone in the app. Players win app points and discounts that they spend in physical shops. According to Wirtualnemedia, Triki debuted at the end of April 2026. In the autumn Żabka added three new games, daily challenges and a bonus for playing several days in a row. It also replaced one big leaderboard with smaller groups of players at a similar level, so casual players have a fair chance too.
Żabka also went where young players already spend time. In 2023 it launched Żabka Run: Porcja DobreGO! on Roblox. Players fly a jetpack through a futuristic Żabka headquarters and collect healthier products. When they crash, they can keep going by answering a question about a balanced diet. A weekly contest linked the Roblox game with the Żappka app.
What agencies can take from it: Żabka ties every game to the app and to the shop. Rewards are app points and discounts, so each game session can end with a visit to the store.
Coca-Cola: codes, app games and AR
In Poland Coca-Cola runs its promotions through the Coca-Cola app. People enter codes from caps, ring pulls or labels and get tokens. They spend tokens on prize draws or rewards and they can also earn points by playing games in the app. The 2026 summer lottery used exactly this flow. Shoppers bought a drink, kept the receipt, entered the code and swapped a token for a lottery ticket.
An earlier promotion called Przed Ekranem ran until 31 March 2022 and added a skill step. A code from the cap gave a coin. Then the player had to score at least 150 points in a game in the app. The coin and the points together bought a lottery ticket.
Abroad, Coca-Cola has used augmented reality on its packs. In a holiday campaign built into the Coke app, people scanned cans and bottles and the polar bears came to life on screen. Two cans placed side by side showed a joint scene. According to the case study by PTC, activations reached the hundreds of thousands in the first week, mostly through people sharing the experience.
What agencies can take from it: brands can use a code on the pack as the entry ticket. With a short game in between, people have something to do and the brand gets more time with them.
Kubuś: codes, rankings and movement
Kubuś, the Maspex juice brand for kids, has mixed packs and games for years. In spring 2016 a promotion let families swap codes from Kubuś Play and Waterrr packs for prizes. They could also earn points in a game app with the character Kropka, including a multiplayer mode.
In 2019 Kubuś ran Rusz się po nagrody! from June to August. Kids used an AR app with sports games and challenges from a popular YouTuber. Prizes went to winners in each of three monthly rounds. The brand also keeps a set of free browser games on its website.
What agencies can take from it: kids may care about movement and fun as much as about prizes. Rounds matter too, because each new round is a reason to come back.
Bakoma: a runner game, an AR lid and receipt contests
In 2014 Bakoma introduced the Superbakusie, a new look for the Bakuś brand heroes. Along with TV and cinema ads, the agency Hand Made created a game for browsers and mobile devices. In the runner, players chose a hero, collected fruit and carried Bakuś cups to the fridge for extra points.
For the 7 zbóż brand, the software house Lemon&Orange built an app in which users scanned the top of a yogurt pot to see an animated 3D character. People could take a selfie with the character and enter a contest. The app also had two simple mini games.
Today Bakoma mostly runs classic receipt contests. In 2026, for example, people bought products, registered the receipt and completed a creative task. This is a good place for agencies to think about the next step. With a short skill game after the receipt registration, the brand could keep people around for longer, and the prize would still depend on a task.
Lidl Plus: a scratch card after every purchase
Lidl shows how small a game can be. After each purchase scanned with the Lidl Plus app, the customer gets a Zdrapka Plus digital scratch card. They rub the screen with a finger and see a coupon for the next visit. According to the January 2026 rules, the coupon depends on the purchase amount and the customer has to activate it within three days.
What agencies can take from it: people can play an instant win in five seconds and still come back to the shop for the reward. Lidl also sets a short deadline, so people return soon.
McDonald's Monopoly: collect a set
In the United States, the Monopoly Game at McDonald's has moved into the app. In the 2026 edition people peel game pieces from eligible products and scan them in the McDonald's app. They win food, collect properties for bigger prizes and play an in-app Chance Card game. The rules cap entries per day and offer a way to play without a purchase.
What agencies can take from it: people who collect a set have a reason to buy again. With the daily caps, McDonald's plans for abuse from day one.
A catalogue of game mechanics for campaigns
Most campaign games use one or two of the mechanics below. Choose by goal and by setting.
- Instant win. Players spin, scratch or tap and see the result straight away. It is quick and easy to understand. In Poland organisers usually have to run a pure chance result linked to a purchase as a promotional lottery, so check the legal side first.
- Leaderboard. Players compete for the top spots. Teams use it mostly for skill games. Group players by level, as Triki now does, or casual players will give up early.
- Daily tasks and streaks. A small task each day and a bonus for several days in a row. People build a habit and come back to the app.
- Collect and complete. Players gather pieces, stickers or levels and get a reward for a full set. Monopoly and Żabu are good examples.
- Receipt or code plus game. People get an extra go or a coin for each purchase, and their play decides the score. Many Polish campaigns link a game to sales this way.
- AR on the pack. Players point the phone at a can or a lid and the product comes to life. It suits seasonal campaigns and shareable content.
- Social sharing. Players share a score, a photo or an invite with friends. Reward the invite as well as the post, and keep sharing optional.
- Playable ads. A short slice of the game inside an ad. People can try the mechanic before they install anything or visit the site. Read more in our guide to playable ads.
How to plan a gamified campaign step by step
1. Set one goal and pick the mechanic
Write down one main goal. It can be app installs, receipt registrations, repeat visits, new marketing consents or reach. Then pick the mechanic that fits it. Use daily tasks for repeat visits, a receipt plus a game for sales and AR or sharing for reach. When a team tries to do everything at once, players usually get a confusing game.
2. Check the legal basics in Poland
Every campaign needs clear rules, a regulamin, published before the start. The key question is whether luck or the player decides who wins.
- A contest in which people win for a task or a result is usually run as a public promise of a reward under the Civil Code. The organiser needs good rules for it, but no permit.
- A promotional lottery, where people buy a product and chance decides the prize, is a game of chance under the Gambling Act. The organiser needs a permit from the director of the relevant tax administration chamber. According to biznes.gov.pl, the application goes in two months before the planned start and the process includes bank guarantees for the prizes and an approved set of rules.
- GDPR applies to every login, score and receipt. Collect only the data you need, ask for marketing consent separately from the rules and explain how long you keep the data. If kids play, plan for parental consent.
Treat this as a planning summary. For legal advice, talk to a lawyer. Agencies usually bring in a lawyer or a specialist promotion agency to write the rules.
3. Choose the platform: web, in-app or a separate app
People open a browser game from a link or a QR code on the pack. Nobody has to install anything, and the studio ships one build for phones and laptops. This is usually the fastest route for a single campaign.
Brands can also put a mini game inside their existing app, often in a WebView. Players then use the app's login, points and coupons, as in the Żabka and Coca-Cola apps. A separate app makes sense only for a long programme with a large audience, because people have to install it before they can play.
4. Plan the technology
- Load time. People scan a QR code in a shop or on a bus. Players should see the game within seconds on a mid range phone with mobile data. See our notes on HTML5 game optimisation.
- Anti-cheat. If there are prizes, someone will try to cheat. Check scores on the server, limit entries per day and per account and watch for scores that are impossible.
- Fair leaderboards. Decide how to break ties and when a round closes. Write it in the rules and show the time zone.
- Traffic spikes. After a TV spot or an influencer post, a lot of players can arrive within minutes. Load test the backend and serve the game files from a CDN.
- Analytics. Agree on events before production starts: game start, finish, score, code entry and prize claim. Then the client gets a clear report after the campaign.
5. Build a realistic timeline
Work backwards from the launch date. Leave time for the concept, art, a playable prototype, production, testing on real phones, the rules and the legal check, and app store review if the game goes into an app. For a lottery, the organiser files the permit application about two months before the start, so many campaigns cannot start earlier than that. A team builds a simple instant win far faster than a game with levels, accounts and rankings.
6. Measure and report
Measure what the goal says. Track unique players, repeat players, average play time, codes or receipts registered and the share of players who claim and use a reward. Compare the results with the brand's own previous campaigns.
Common mistakes in gamified campaigns
- Picking a mechanic first and the goal later.
- Running a game of chance tied to purchases as a contest, without a permit.
- Asking for long registration before the first play.
- A game that takes too long to load on a phone in a shop.
- A single leaderboard where a few heavy players win every week.
- No limits on entries, so bots and multiple accounts take the prizes.
- Rewards that are hard to use, or that expire before people notice them.
- No load test before the TV spot goes on air.
- No analytics plan, so nobody can show what the campaign did.
How to brief a game studio
With a good brief, both sides save weeks of back and forth. Send the studio:
- The campaign goal and the main KPI.
- The audience, including age, and where people will find the game: pack, shop, social media or the app.
- The mechanic you have in mind and the type of campaign: contest or lottery.
- The platform: web, a mini game inside an existing app or a separate app, plus any SDK or WebView limits.
- Brand assets: characters, guidelines, sound and the products that should appear in the game.
- The campaign dates, key media moments and the expected traffic peaks.
- Login, codes, receipts and rewards: what already exists and what the studio needs to build.
- The events and reports the client expects.
- Whether the studio works under your agency's name or directly with the brand.
If you have not worked with an external studio before, read our guide on how to outsource game development. We cover contracts, milestones and handover there.
At Codeward we build branded web games and in-app mini games for agencies and brands, and we often work white label under the agency's name. We work in Defold, so our web builds stay small and load quickly on phones. If you are planning a campaign, send us your brief.