So, in between branding sessions, what impressed at PICNIC?
For sheer wow factor, it was all about the augmented reality demonstrations from Barcelona’s YDreams and London’s Brand Experience Lab.
But first a definition of “augmented reality” is called for.
The term itself is nothing new. While you’d think it came from a cyberpunk novel, “augmented reality” was more prosaically coined in 1990 by Boeing engineers developing a prototype training solution. Essentially, it’s all about overlaying CGI onto what the user is seeing and mapping this through use of motion capture. If you’ve ever seen Sony’s Eye Toy for the PS2 then you’ve seen it in action.
But where the Eye Toy is often a solitary experience (stand drunk in front of your telly and fight robot ninja monkeys) both YDreams and Brand Experience Lab are making this a shared and – based on the PICNIC reaction – communally euphoric experience.
It’s better seen than described, so get yourself to YouTube and search the phrase “Human Joysticks.” What you’ll find is a crowd of cinema-goers during the opening weekend of Spiderman 3 in LA. You’ll see them whoop as only North Americans can while swaying from side to side to control a big screen version of arcade classic Breakout in a branded game developed by MSNBC.
A variant on this was deployed at the London premiere of “Ratatouille” – sponsored by Volvo, the audience steered their way around a track, with a plan to stack up the scores of different audiences across the country in a prize-winning competition.
(Quick digression – Pixar have normally demonstrated a brilliant “does what it says on the tin” naming strategy for their films – viz. “Cars” and “Toy Story.” So why over-reach themselves this time with a title that requires its own pronunciation guide on the posters? Wouldn’t “Rat Chefs” have been closer the mark?)
Anyway, then get back to YouTube and try a search on ‘YDreams’ + ‘Dove.’ A São Paulo audience similarly whoops and swoons (though in an infinitely more sensual South American fashion) as they burst virtual bubbles in a stunning piece of work delivered through OgilvyOne. Not only does São Paulo ban toxic outdoor advertising, it gets immersive brand experiences like this. Nice.
But while I’m all for brand engagement through shared emotional experiences, I’m unsure just how many and varied the possibilities of this pre-movie tech actually are – so respect to Volvo for getting in there first in the UK. There are obviously opportunities to network different cinemas together and to have one audience play another, but the type of interaction and control is ultimately limited. That said, wait till you experience it – as you inevitably will – and feel the joy.
And hell, it beats the standard pre-film fodder – I can easily see it becoming part of a pre-film ritual. But for brands the challenge for the future will be in ensuring effective integration and messaging within the experience – something done better by Dove than by MSNBC.
