Gorillas "Skinny Ape" AR Experience
https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=8&v=iFaKhtlBU7A&embeds_referring_euri=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.com%2F&source_ve_path=Mjg2NjY
In December 2022, the virtual band Gorillaz introduced an innovative augmented reality (AR) experience to promote their single “Skinny Ape.” The band orchestrated immersive performances in New York City’s Times Square on December 17 and London’s Piccadilly Circus on December 18, utilizing AR technology to blend digital artistry with real-world environments.
Fans were invited to these iconic locations to witness larger-than-life digital avatars of band members Murdoc, 2D, Noodle, and Russel performing amidst the urban landscapes. The experience was facilitated through the “Gorillaz Presents” app, available on both Android and iOS platforms, allowing users to view the performances via their smartphones.
The project was a collaboration between Gorillaz co-creator Jamie Hewlett, director Fx Goby, and Nexus Studios. It leveraged Google’s ARCore Geospatial API, which integrates AR content with real-world locations using data from Google Maps. This technology enabled the precise placement of digital elements within the physical spaces of Times Square and Piccadilly Circus, creating a seamless fusion of virtual and real-world elements.
For those unable to attend the live events, the AR performances remained accessible through the “Gorillaz Presents” app into 2023, offering a tabletop version that could be experienced in various locations.
This endeavor exemplifies the potential of AR technology in the music industry, offering fans novel ways to engage with artists and performances. By transforming public spaces into interactive stages, Gorillaz set a precedent for future integrations of technology and live music experiences.
Sources: Inavate Magazine, Medium
CLAAS Harvester AR App
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UnjqwPBwoAc&t=17s
CLAAS, a leading agricultural machinery manufacturer, has teamed up with Luxoom to introduce SHOW SMART, an innovative mixed reality (MR) tool designed to revolutionize how their machines are presented at trade shows and sales meetings. This tool enables interactive demonstrations, allowing users to explore the features of CLAAS machines in real-time through virtual experiences.
The SHOW SMART app is designed for ease of use, operated via an iPad Pro, and lets users interact with machinery models without needing physical machines on display. This allows for a deeper understanding of the machines’ capabilities, making it ideal for environments like press conferences and sales presentations.
What makes this tool particularly effective is its versatility. It can be adapted to different presentation settings, providing a hands-on, engaging experience for audiences of all types. Additionally, the app was developed with input from CLAAS product experts, ensuring it is both user-friendly and functional for employees worldwide.
By integrating MR technology, CLAAS enhances its customer engagement, providing an innovative way to showcase the advanced technology behind their machinery. SHOW SMART is a prime example of how digital innovation can be used to effectively communicate product features and elevate the overall customer experience.
Source: Luxoom
ABBA Voyage - Volumetric Concert
https://vimeo.com/1058245843
The most expensive tour in history of live performance is not even a tour.
ABBA’s virtual concert series, “ABBA Voyage,” has achieved remarkable financial success since its debut in May 2022 at the custom-built ABBA Arena in London’s Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park. The innovative show features digital avatars of the band members, accompanied by a live 10-piece band, performing 22 of ABBA’s classic hits. As of September 2023, the production has sold over 1.5 million tickets, generating more than $150 million in revenue. The show maintains a 99% attendance rate, with seven performances weekly, each grossing over $2 million. The average ticket price is approximately £85 ($105).
“ABBA Voyage” represents a pioneering model in live entertainment, blending advanced technology with live performance to create a unique concert experience. Its financial achievements and potential for global expansion underscore the viability of virtual performances in the modern music industry.
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/newsletters/2023-09-04/-abba-voyage-tour-makes-2-million-a-week-with-an-avatar-band
Source: Bloomberg
Kaufland goes Nintendo with "Kaufisland"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ac_wcqrKY-k
Kaufland enters Animal Crossing: New Horizons!
Kaufland made a pioneering move in the German food retail sector by launching Kaufisland, a dedicated island in Animal Crossing: New Horizons. Created in collaboration with German Twitch streamer Minimoli, this initiative aimed to engage a younger audience by integrating the brand into a popular virtual environment.
Kaufisland is designed to reflect Kaufland’s values, particularly its commitment to sustainability. The island features eco-friendly installations such as solar panels and wind turbines, highlighting the company’s focus on renewable energy. Additionally, agricultural spaces, including animal stables and farming areas, emphasize the brand’s connection to fresh produce and responsible sourcing. Visitors to Kaufisland encounter interactive elements, including playful avatars like Phil Leita, a character whose name is a nod to the German word Filialleiter (store manager), adding a fun and personalized touch.
Through this project, Kaufland aims to connect with younger consumers in a space where they spend time, enhancing brand visibility and relevance. The island’s design also underscores Kaufland’s dedication to environmental initiatives, aligning with the values of environmentally conscious players.
By entering Animal Crossing, Kaufland embraces an innovative marketing approach that merges traditional retail concepts with digital entertainment. Kaufisland exemplifies how brands can use gaming platforms to foster authentic interactions with consumers, blending fun and corporate values to create a memorable and engaging experience.
Source: we-are-family.com
Gucci goes Roblox!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=3&v=016X2X50mHc&embeds_referring_euri=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.com%2F&source_ve_path=Mjg2NjY
The Gucci Garden Experience in Roblox was a limited-time virtual event launched in May 2021 as a collaboration between Gucci and Roblox. Designed as an immersive art exhibition, the experience recreated the real-world Gucci Garden Archetypes exhibition in Florence, celebrating the brand’s 100-year history.
Upon entering, players started as blank, mannequin-like avatars. As they explored different themed rooms inspired by iconic Gucci campaigns, their avatars absorbed colors, patterns, and textures, making each visitor’s journey unique. The rooms featured surreal and artistic designs, such as a lush garden, a dreamlike bathroom, a hall of mirrors, and a mystical subway station, each reflecting different elements of Gucci’s creative vision.
One of the main attractions was the ability to purchase limited-edition virtual Gucci items, such as handbags, sunglasses, and hats, some of which later became highly valuable in the Roblox trading community. A notable moment was when the Gucci Dionysus Bag with Bee accidentally sold for 475 Robux (about $6) but later resold for over 350,000 Robux due to its rarity.
The Gucci Garden Experience was praised for blending luxury fashion with Roblox’s gaming environment, attracting both Gucci enthusiasts and gaming fans. It showcased how brands could use virtual spaces to create interactive storytelling and exclusivity in the digital world. While it was a temporary event, its influence remains significant in shaping how high fashion engages with gaming communities.
More information at Gucci.
Porsche launches Taycan AR-App
https://vimeo.com/1072839615?share=copy#t=0
Porsche, in collaboration with Frankfurt-based mixed-reality experts NSYNK, has developed the Taycan AR Event App, an augmented reality tool that allows content creators to explore and showcase the inner workings of the all-electric Porsche Taycan. This app provides an interactive way to highlight the sports car’s intricate engineering, unique technical features, and advanced charging infrastructure using live-action video and audio.
Initially designed for Porsche launch events, the app was created as a cost-effective and sustainable alternative to traditional display methods, such as using a stripped-down “skateboard” chassis to reveal the car’s internal components. Producing and transporting such physical models is expensive, labor-intensive, and fragile. The AR app, however, offers a flexible, scalable, and engaging way to present the Taycan’s technology without logistical constraints.
With the growing influence of mobile technology, the app leverages augmented reality to bring engineering details to life, making them accessible to a wider audience. Content creators can use it to produce immersive, educational, and visually compelling presentations, enhancing the understanding of Porsche’s electric vehicle innovations. The Taycan AR Event App represents a modern approach to automotive storytelling, blending cutting-edge technology with digital media to engage enthusiasts and consumers alike.
Pizza Hut goes back in time with AR.
https://www.vimeo.com/1058260820
Pizza Hut partnered with PAC-MAN to release a limited-edition pizza box featuring an augmented reality (AR) version of the classic game. Customers could scan a QR code on the box to play the game on their smartphones and enter a sweepstakes for a chance to win a custom Arcade1Up PAC-MAN game cabinet.
The campaign aimed to connect with both longtime Pizza Hut fans and a new generation by merging nostalgic elements with digital innovation.
Artist WOODKID - captured in 4D
https://vimeo.com/1058236178
A live performance by Woodkid in Jan Böhmermann's Cologne studio without the French singer leaving his lockdown in Grenoble?
There's no such thing as can't, said "ZDF Magazin Royale" and quickly brought him in as a 4D model to perform together with the Rundfunk Tanzorchester Ehrenfeld.
Balenciaga's "Afterworld" - fashion goes gaming!
httP://www.vimeo.com/1048485950
With Fashion Weeks around the world forced online during the pandemic, Balenciaga imagined the next generation of virtual catwalk shows.
Afterworld: The Age of Tomorrow is a 3D web-based game that takes players on an interactive journey based on “mythological pasts and projected futures”. It explores the Fall 2021 collection modelled by 50 volumetric characters, all captured on Dimension/MRMC's Polymotion Stage.
Balenciaga's Afterworld blazed a trail for fashion in 2020. This futuristic fusion of volumetric capture and video gaming opened the industry's eyes to the endless possibilities of using realistic avatars and game engines such as Unreal Engine.
Source: Dimension Studios
Circle K AR-ads in Pokemon
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=845bkn_am18
Circle K, the international convenience store chain, launched a notable advertising campaign in partnership with Pokémon GO, the popular mobile game developed by Niantic. The collaboration began in late 2020 and continued into 2021, turning over 9,000 Circle K locations across the U.S., Europe, and Asia into in-game “PokéStops” and “Gyms.” These are key locations within Pokémon GO where players can collect items, battle, and interact with the game.
The goal of the campaign was to increase foot traffic to Circle K stores by integrating them into the daily gaming routines of Pokémon GO players. By visiting Circle K locations, players could access exclusive in-game rewards, such as special raid battles and timed research events. This encouraged players to physically visit stores, driving both digital engagement and real-world sales.
Circle K also offered exclusive Pokémon-themed merchandise and promotions tied to in-store purchases, deepening the brand’s integration into the game experience. This form of location-based advertising leveraged Pokémon GO’s augmented reality and geolocation features to turn real-world visits into part of the gameplay loop.
The campaign was successful in bridging digital and physical consumer behavior. It showcased how brands can creatively use mobile gaming platforms to engage with tech-savvy, on-the-go consumers. The partnership allowed Circle K to reach millions of active players worldwide while promoting its brand in a fun and interactive way.