Third-party cookies are gradually disappearing. Ad tracking is becoming increasingly strict. In this context, collecting qualified first-party data is essential.

Yet standard collection methods are wearing users out. Ad fatigue is frequently discussed. Beyond three fields with no immediate reward, the drop-off rate exceeds 80%.

For a retail brand, merely accumulating passive email addresses is no longer enough. The challenge is getting active members right from the start.

The aim is threefold:

1. Cost-effective acquisition: bypass the automatic rise in cost per lead with more engaging ad formats.
2. Maximize qualified consent: replace the perceived burden of forms with a genuinely fair, consensual exchange.
3. Drive immediate member activation: turn a casual, curious player into a regular user of the relationship program.

Gamification for a loyalty program effectively addresses all of these challenges. By combining playful mechanics and targeted campaigns via Adictiz Ads, the Place de la Gare club (SNCF) is transforming its acquisition strategy. This approach creates a high-performing, mutually agreed value exchange.

Every day, more than 10 million travelers pass through French train stations. This footfall presents a major relationship-building opportunity, yet a highly volatile one.

Launched two years ago, the Place de la Gare club needed to establish itself quickly. It had to acquire members without driving ad spend through the roof.

A two-stage trajectory

To firmly establish the brand, the strategy was divided into two successive phases.

Initially, loyalty program gamification acted as a direct entry point with the message “come for the game, discover the program”, enabling the acquisition of very high volumes of new profiles.

In a second phase, the strategy moved toward maturity with the reverse promise: “come for the program, which includes the games.” The video or instant-win game is no longer merely an acquisition lever; it has become an ongoing relationship benefit alongside commercial offers and promotions.

A year-round promotional campaign calendar

To maintain contact and feed the CRM throughout the year, the brand established a regular campaign calendar. In 2025, seven interactive mechanics punctuated key milestones (holidays, back to school, seasonal events), creating an eagerly awaited touchpoint for the commuter community.

Operational deployment relied on varied formats designed to hit high-volume acquisition targets while keeping media budgets in check.

Capturing attention at controlled costs: the spring Hidden Objects game

For the spring campaign, the brand bet on a Hidden Objects game designed in partnership with the Okko Hôtels group. The mechanic invited participants to find an access card hidden inside a suitcase, based on a classic observation game model. This immersive experience delivered outstanding advertising results:

• Nearly 8 out of 10 registrants came directly from targeted Adictiz Ads media campaigns.
• An ultra competitive cost per lead dropped as low as €1,06 on certain campaigns, proving the superiority of interactive formats over passive banners.

Securing qualified opt-ins: the grand Christmas contest

For the holiday season, the brand selected a Slot Machine game. The consent form was displayed right at the player’s peak engagement point, immediately after the round and just before the prize reveal screen. This strategic timing eliminated the usual psychological barriers:

• 18,500 registrants were recorded for the campaign, 75% of them coming from paid media.
• 7,500 new marketing consents were secured, representing an opt-in rate of 40.6%.
• Over 5,800 clicks were redirected toward the club’s offers right at the end of the journey, confirming participants’ drive to engage.

Combining attention span and account creation: the Nature Getaway Memory game

Organized in partnership with ZooParc de Beauval, this campaign relied on a Memory game requiring several dozen seconds of focus. Requiring account creation or login through a smooth SSO (Single Sign-On) system, the initiative turned the administrative hurdle into a seamless step: participants willingly signed up to access an exclusive prize with high perceived value.

Uniting audiences around a seasonal treat: the Easter scratch card game

This instant win campaign relied on a digital Scratch card game centered on chocolate, offering a train getaway to Brussels as the grand prize. By pairing seasonality with a prize directly aligned with the rail universe, the campaign recorded 85% new profiles without drawing purely opportunistic users.

The alignment between gaming and the world of travel is immediate. Whether in transit or planning a trip, station users readily welcome an entertaining break. Loyalty program gamification turns this moment of attention into a mutually agreed exchange: web users agree to share their data in return for an enjoyable experience and targeted rewards (getaways, train tickets, station offers). This relevance acts as a natural filter against deal hunters, ensuring the retention of a truly interested audience.

The immersion provided by gaming radically shifts the impact of the first touchpoint. Unlike banner ads dismissed within three seconds, an interactive mechanic generates one to two minutes of quality attention span. This time spent within the brand world builds strong recall, ensuring that the new registrant does not become just another dormant record in the CRM.

The model also relies on a virtuous co-branding cycle. By leveraging station footfall and digital screens for renowned partners (Okko Hôtels, Beauval, Nouvelles Frontières), Place de la Gare self-funds its operations while gathering precise intent data. The brand thus refines customer knowledge to roll out highly personalized activations.

Just two years after its launch, the Place de la Gare club surpassed 250,000 members, confirming the long term profitability of this relational approach.

Acquisition volumes driven by paid media

Performance analysis highlights the driving role of interactive campaigns:

• 80% of game participants represent new profiles for the brand.
• 68% of overall acquisition comes directly from ad formats managed through Adictiz Ads.

Immediate activation from day zero

The campaign’s success extends throughout the member life cycle thanks to a carefully designed onboarding journey. Within hours of registration (Day 0), a welcome email clearly restates the club’s value and everyday perks without technical jargon. This direct connection between gaming and real utility drives sustained high open and usage rates over time.

The experience led by Place de la Gare proves that using interactive gamification mechanics within a loyalty program is not a mere animation gimmick, but a central pillar for combining consented data collection, cost control and active retention.

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