Youth fashion and sports retailer JD has deployed an augmented reality (AR) arcade machine at its Oxford Street, London, store as part of its festive ‘King of the Game’ campaign.

JD has teamed up with Snap to create an AR experience that transforms the front of the store into a free interactive AR claw grabber that replicates the one seen in the firm’s commercial, from now until 13 December. To play, shoppers can scan the Snapcode on the corner of the JD Oxford Street store window, to see the popular claw machine arcade game appear on the storefront in AR. Alternatively, shoppers can point their Snap Camera at the storefront and use the Scan function to unlock the AR experience, using Snap’s Landmarker technology.

Its the first time a UK brand has turned a physical retail shop front into a giant, gamified AR arcade experience. Players can try their hand at extracting prizes from the gamified grabber machine crammed with footwear and signature JD teddys which feature in JD’s ‘King of the Game’ Christmas film.

The Christmas TV spot, which premiered at the start of November, stars a line-up of 32 youth superstars defining sport, entertainment, and music culture, with Liverpool and England defender Trent Alexander-Arnold challenging Top Boy actress Jasmine Jobson on the iconic claw machine in a neon-fuelled JD games arcade.

“JD has always been at the forefront of progressing youth culture and supporting talent hustling to be at the top of their game,” said JD Sports Global Group Marketing Director, Nadia Kokni. “With this year’s campaign celebrating the spirit of competition and the magic of Christmas, we also wanted to push boundaries with dynamic experiences enabling fans to experience the energy and euphoria of the JD ARcade.”

For shoppers who can’t get to the capital, throughout December, physical ‘JD Arcades’ will be rolled out via a retail tour across Bristol (3 and 4 Dec); Dublin (6-12Dec); Manchester (10 and 11 Dec); and Glasgow (17 and 18 Dec), where instant prizes can be won.