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Typically, when one of the world's leading design and advertising publications honors digital work, it's sophisticated websites and software that bask in the limelight. But in 2020, Communications Arts magazine, in its 27th Annual Interactive Competition, selected an 8-bit mobile app to showcase in its mobile category.

Here's the story that led to the development of this "old-school" technology:

Major League Baseball returned in late July 2020, but, because of restrictions brought about by the pandemic, the fans couldn’t. 

That meant that the Ohio Lottery, as a partner of the Cleveland Indians, lost its opportunity to connect with fans at the stadium. So, how could Marcus Thomas help them engage with the fans watching the game from the comfort of their own couches?

Introducing: 8-Bit at Bat.

We bought prime home-plate signage and placed a code with a call to action for people to scan their TV screens. That code activated a minigame that gave viewers at home a chance to compete and win real money. 

Viewers scanned the code, which launched a simple sign-up or sign-in screen, before taking them to a choice on what the batter was going to do.

Once their choice was made, the game played through and revealed if the viewer won or not, before reminding them to play again during the next home game.

It might not have been the same experience Ohio Lottery delivered at the stadium, but it gave our fans a fun and unique way to engage with the Ohio Lottery — and a chance at winning cash, not just t-shirts and hot dogs. 

Both Ohio Lottery and the Cleveland Indians loved it, but more importantly, so did viewers at home. Without any promotion, and running for just a handful of games over three weeks, we had more than 4,000 scans with an average 2-minute engagement time per scan. 

Now, the Ohio Lottery and the Cleveland Indians are looking forward to more 8-Bit at Bat next season.