ICCU Turns a Tucson Mural Into an Interactive AR OOH Fundraiser for the Rialto Theatre

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ICCU Launches an Interactive OOH Mural Beside Tucson’s Rialto Theatre

In an alley beside the Rialto Theatre in Tucson, Arizona, Idaho Central Credit Union (ICCU) is putting a new spin on mural advertising. Ahead of a sold-out Pixies show, advertising agency Drake Cooper unveiled a colorful mural created by local Arizona artist Jessica Gonzalez.

The work is more than a static wall painting: it serves as the entry point for an augmented-reality (AR) outdoor advertising activation that helps raise money for the nonprofit Rialto Theatre Foundation, which supports the venue, music education and community programming.

In a city known for hundreds of murals, ICCU’s campaign provides a reason to stop, look and actively participate.

Augmented Reality OOH Advertising Turns Street Art Into a Playable Experience

A nearby sign invites visitors to scan a QR code. Their phones then open a web-based augmented-reality game in which they tap flying virtual coins appearing around the artwork.

There is no app download and no charge to participate. By reducing the steps needed to enter the experience, the mural makes interactive Outdoor Advertising accessible to people passing through the alley.

The campaign also demonstrates how AR OOH Advertising can add a digital layer to a physical installation without turning the mural itself into a digital billboard. The wall remains painted street art; the interactive elements appear on a visitor’s phone.

QR Code OOH Campaign Converts First Plays Into Rialto Theatre Donations

The activation ties participation to direct support for the local arts community: each visitor’s first game triggers a $10 donation from ICCU to the Rialto Theatre Foundation, with a maximum ICCU pledge of $10,000.

Visitors do not need to contribute their own money to unlock the donation. In this experiential OOH campaign, an interaction with outdoor media becomes the action that initiates funding.

That gives the concept a clear purpose beyond impressions or social sharing, although no verified totals for plays, donations or campaign reach were provided.

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Experiential OOH Connects the Tucson Music Community With Outdoor Media

The Rialto Theatre is an intentional setting for the campaign. The creative debuted ahead of a sold-out Pixies performance, reaching a cultural audience in a real-world space connected to live music.

Jessica Gonzalez’s mural incorporates vivid instruments, floral shapes and coins, blending its setting and fundraising theme into a single Outdoor Media installation.

Drake Cooper creative director Kelsie Clegg emphasized that the project brought together the artist, a 3D specialist and the coding team to bring the work to life while directing support to the venue.

Interactive Outdoor Advertising Creates a New Role for the Smartphone

Instead of replacing the street-level experience, the phone becomes a lens that reveals an additional layer of content. Visitors point their cameras toward the mural, launch the web AR game and engage with the activation on location.

This is an example of Interactive OOH Advertising, place-based advertising and experiential brand activation working together: a physical location attracts attention, mobile technology creates participation and the credit union funds a local nonprofit.

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Why This Tucson OOH Advertising Case Study Stands Out

The campaign combines three different strengths: local artistic relevance, a low-friction interactive experience and a clearly defined charitable action. Its physical setting gives the work cultural context, while the QR code makes the engagement measurable in principle.

It is important to distinguish this execution from DOOH Advertising: the campaign is a physical mural enhanced by web AR, not a network of electronic digital screens. Its technology lies in the phone-based experience.

What Brands Can Learn From ICCU’s AR OOH Campaign

• Anchor creative OOH in local culture. A mural made by a local artist feels connected to its location rather than imposed on it.
• Keep interactive participation simple. QR code access without an app download lowers barriers for visitors.
• Make each interaction meaningful. A first play unlocks a real donation paid by the sponsoring brand.
• Unite physical and digital outdoor media. A permanent-looking painted surface can lead to a temporary, playable mobile experience.

Final Reflection: ICCU Shows How Interactive OOH Can Turn Attention Into Community Impact

The ICCU mural shows how an OOH Campaign can go beyond brand visibility. With local art, accessible augmented reality and a specific nonprofit fundraising mechanism, the installation turns an everyday urban wall into an invitation to participate.

For brands exploring Creative OOH and Experiential Outdoor Advertising, the project illustrates how a small interaction in a public space can be linked to tangible support for a community institution.