A Virtual Countdown to Christmas with Milka's Augmented Reality Calendar

Adjust Your Set, one of the UK’s leading content agencies, has unveiled a fully interactive augmented reality Christmas advent calendar for Milka, the leading European chocolate brand, which enables families to watch, play and share inspiring content using touch screen technology. In the countdown to Christmas, the calendar reveals a special surprise every day, starting from the chocolate in every window to animated films, interactive games and augmented reality activities, which appear in an illustrated Milka alpine magical world.

The Milka Christmas Countdown Calendar, which was devised by Taxi Studio, is aimed at mothers and their children  and is brought to life by families pointing their smart devices at a calendar window. On key dates, the calendar reveals playful animated films set in the snowy Milka alpine wonderland. The films follow a fairy tale story of a family who together unlock the true spirit of Christmas. The calendar reaches its peak on Christmas Eve, where users have the opportunity to immerse themselves in a unique and personalised augmented reality Milka alpine experience.

Other surprises include interactive games using camera and touch screen technology including ‘Trumpet & Tuba’, where families can create their own songs and a ‘Snowman Game’ where you decorate yourself. Families can also download Christmas activities to keep, such as recipes, decoration patterns and e-storybooks, to encourage family interaction in the real world.

Adjust Your Set, developed the concepts and created the content throughout the course of the calendar, plus a multi-language delivery meant the content had to work across European markets. The agency worked with Augmented Reality experts Play Nicely, who conceived and developed the associated app, games and AR.

Adjust Your Set commissioned artist Kerry Hyndman to create the beautiful illustrations as seen in the app, interactive elements and animated films for a seamless user experience.

The calendar will be available in shops from November in Austria, France and Germany. Get it on Google Play or available to download from the App store.

Kathryn Dufty, Associate Creative Director of Adjust Your Set, said “Drawing on Milka’s alpine heritage, we created an imaginative and beautiful Milka alpine wonderland which is a gift for families to unlock this Christmas. We also wanted to encourage real family interaction through the calendar content, by inviting them to play and create together, thus narrowing the space between the online and offline worlds. I wish I had a Christmas calendar like this when I was a kid!”