Using augmented reality to create an immersive customer experience, the app will work alongside product from “Robot Trains” licensees to entertain fans, raise awareness of the brand and promote “Robot Trains” merchandise.

The “Robot Trains” app is free. Kids can play two games and experience live interactions with the show’s characters. A virtual cards collector (where each card matches a specific merchandising category) offers a wide selection of games accessible by purchasing a product. To take part in new game sessions, players can unlock cards by scanning the product packaging.

Mondo has incorporated 3D recognition into the app’s features. The app activates the physical product in 3D with the help of AR.

“A few years ago, content was king. Today, I’d suggest, ‘Experience is king,’” says Silvia D’Archivio, head marketing communication, Mondo TV Group. “With that in mind–and paying close attention to emerging trends in digital innovation–we have been looking for a bridge between physical interaction and digital engagement. Now, thanks to a collaboration with Bitbuu, the company that has developed the ‘Robot Trains’ AR app, Mondo TV is able to pioneer new possibilities for imaginative play, giving fans a personalized experience with their favorite characters.”

An AR app to offer the physical product to customers, the “Robot Trains” app is the first for the Italian licensing market.

The app is available in March and will be supported by a major media campaign, with input from Cartoonito in Italy, where season two premiered Feb. 11. Coinciding with the new series’ launch, the channel is rolling out a promotional strategy, both on-air and off-air.

Two preview episodes have also been made available online on the dedicated “Robot Trains” page on the Cartoonito website. Interactive content includes a game set in Mountainland World, one of the settings for the show.

“We are very enthusiastic about this initiative, and based on the interest shown by our partners, we have high expectations,” says Valentina La Macchia, licensing director, Mondo TV. “Today it is important to support the sell-out of the products, and with this app we can do it in an innovative and original way.”