Case Study: Matas Catch Match Game

March 6, 2026

How to drive Gen-Z Foot Traffic with a an In-Store Geofenced AR Game

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Introduction

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How do you motivate Gen-Z customers to visit physical retail stores multiple times, stay in the store and engage them with your brand and products?

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Together with Matas, one of Denmark’s leading beauty and health retailers, Hololink created Matas Catch Match: a location-based AR game designed to drive in-store engagement, repeat visits, and brand interaction with selected beauty products.

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The result was a playful, immersive campaign that brought digital-native customers into real-world stores - and kept them coming back.

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The Challenge

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Matas wanted to:

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  • Attract Gen-Z customers into physical stores

  • Increase in-store engagement around selected beauty brands

  • Encourage repeat visits within a short campaign window

  • Create a campaign that felt fun, modern, and mobile-first

The solution needed to seamlessly blend the digital and physical worlds, without friction.

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The Solution: Matas Catch Match

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Hololink designed and developed an AR treasure-hunt-style game that was fully integrated into the Matas loyalty app.

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The game was geofenced, meaning:

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  • Anyone could open the game from the app

  • But it could only be played inside 1 of 10 selected Matas stores across Denmark

  • GPS verification ensured players were physically present in-store

Once inside a participating store, players could launch the game and begin their mission.

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Gameplay Experience

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Players were tasked with finding and catching virtual E.L.F. beauty products floating around the store using their smartphone camera.

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Each successful catch unlocked:

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  • Free beauty products

  • Discount vouchers

  • Goody bags

  • Other instant rewards

To unlock the chance to win a larger prize, players had to:

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  • Return to the store three times over two weeks

  • Complete Level 1, Level 2, and Level 3, released at different times

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This level-based structure encouraged repeat store visits while maintaining excitement throughout the campaign.

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Results

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The campaign exceeded expectations:

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  • 2,000+ Gen-Z customers visited Matas stores during the 2-week campaign

  • Strong increase in in-store engagement and awareness

  • Measurable uplift in foot traffic and sales

  • High participation across all three game levels

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Most importantly, the campaign demonstrated how AR can be used not just as a novelty, but as a powerful retail activation tool.

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What’s Next

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Matas was very pleased with the results of Matas Catch Match, and Hololink is currently in discussions with the brand about developing new AR games and experiences in the future.

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This campaign shows how geofenced AR experiences can successfully bridge online and offline retail, especially when targeting younger, mobile-first audiences.

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Key Takeaways

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  • AR is an effective way to drive physical store visits

  • Geofencing ensures real-world engagement, not just app opens

  • Game mechanics and levels encourage repeat behavior

  • Gen-Z responds strongly to playful, reward-based experiences

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Contact us

Niels Østergaard, CEO

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