Did you know that the average attention span of your ideal customer is now less than that of a goldfish? It’s no secret that capturing and holding your audience’s attention is becoming more difficult. The average attention span of humans is a dismal 8.25 seconds (a goldfish, evidently, has an attention span of 9 seconds) and has decreased by over 25% from 2000 to 2015.
It’s no surprise then, that marketers have to be increasingly innovative in their approach to winning and keeping attention. Enter immersive marketing. Immersive marketing creates new ways for customers to participate with brands in real life, virtually, or through a hybrid approach. The key is to deeply engage people both physically – through their senses – and emotionally, sparking connection, fascination, and delight.
What does this look like in practice? Check out the examples below…
Immersive Marketing: 13 Awe-Inspiring Examples
- Coca-Cola Future Room - Ever wonder what it’s like to be inside a bottle of Coca-Cola? Wonder no more at this immersive experience created for Coke’s 125th Anniversary by Istanbul-based creative agency Antilop. The 90 square meter room features a 270-degree projection allowing visitors to be visually and audibly surrounded by the history, images, and classic ASMR goodness of the iconic soda brand.
- House of the Dragon Premiere - HBO doesn’t mess around when it comes to brand activations, and the House of the Dragon premiere was no exception. This immersive mall pop-up in Manila, Philippines allowed guests to engage with the Targaryen dragon via a host of interactive activities from egg hatching and tarot reading to the great reveal - a larger-than-life Balerion dragon skull.
- GoGo SqueeZ Goodness Machine - If two common marketing mandates are to “surprise and delight” customers - the GoGo SqueeZ traveling pop-up vending machine did just that. The oversized applesauce pouch-shaped machine sends packets of the kid-friendly treat flying in the air (with parachutes, no less) and into the hands of excited kids with the push of a button.
- National Geographic’s VR Space Helmet - How do you leave a lasting impression on journalists while pitching a new television series about the planet? Why not outfit them in astronaut-style VR helmets and make them feel like they’ve traveled into space? That’s just what McCann New York did for National Geographic’s series “One Strange Rock.”
- Quantum Leap Day - NBC took advantage of the recent spike in gasoline prices by offering customers the opportunity to fill up like it was 1985 in a recent brand activation promoting the reboot of “Quantum Leap.” For one day only, lucky Los Angelenos could fill their tanks for 91 cents/gallon or take advantage of 1985 movie ticket prices through a special promo code at Fandango. The time-travel component and cost savings ensured this experience was well-received by customers and likely earned the show some new fans.
- The Stranger Things Experience - Netflix’s immensely popular show, Stranger Things brings the arcade, ice cream shop, and the “Upside Down” to life for fans desperate to experience Hawkins, Indiana. A fully immersive experience, this guided event leads fans into a whole new storyline and gives them a chance to save the town by harnessing their own superpowers in the Upside Down. Forgettable? Not likely.
- Adidas Liquid Billboard - In an effort to promote Adidas’ new inclusive line of women’s swimwear, Jack Morton created the world’s first swimmable billboard at a popular beach in Dubai. Intended to encourage the participation of women of all sizes, abilities, and religious and cultural backgrounds to see themselves on the billboard (& thus in the swimwear) Adidas succeeded in not only making a splash but also a statement.
- The Weeknd Tik Tok Event - The Weeknd rolled out a new album with an AR & social media hybrid campaign during the pandemic that had fans and critics raving. The futuristic music video allowed viewers to engage via commenting and cause the car to ‘blast off.’
- Ally Bank Monopoly Game - Ally teamed up with Monopoly to use AR for an interactive multi-city scavenger hunt for real-life prizes including $50,000 and a new Jeep Wrangler. The game was triggered by the discovery of life-sized Monopoly-style game squares placed strategically across different US cities featuring a QR code that would allow users to enter the game. The campaign was a playful way to promote Ally, provide financial literacy, and generate valuable earned media for both brands.
- Thomas Cook “Try Before You Fly” - 360-degree VR video producer Visualise was tapped to bring British Airline Thomas Cook’s newest plane to life in conjunction with their Virtual Fantasy Flight social media campaign. The 360-degree video is viewable without a VR headset and includes some unexpected travelers like a swimsuit-clad lifeguard and 5-piece orchestra as clues for viewers to guess the mystery destination and earn a chance to win a trip to L.A.
- Tatcha Forest Awakening Collection - Forest bathing in the middle of Los Angeles? This brand pop-up by Tatcha was designed to immerse guests in a true Japanese-style shinrin-yoku, as a means to roll out a new Hinoki-based skincare collection. Guests were also treated to refreshments and product giveaways in addition to the nature break.
- BÉIS Luggage Motel - D2C Luggage brand BÉIS created a motel-themed branded pop-up at LA’s The Grove. Featuring fun mini-activations like slushie happy hours and roaming bell hops with carts full of luggage attracted attention and invited engagement, while thoughtful interactive details like QR codes enriched the experience. The chic motel theme inspired selfies and social posts, while those who made a purchase enjoyed 15% off and a free gift. Immersive experiences are especially valuable for e-commerce brands like BÉIS, because they give customers a chance to interact with the brand and the product in person.
- Le Grande Numero de Chanel Chanel celebrated 100 years of fragrance with an immersive pop-up exhibit in Paris featuring the luxury brand’s iconic perfumes and the faces and fashion used to market them in a 1920s carnival-themed activation. With celebrity appearances, distinctive social-media-worthy salons, and plenty of glamor, the iconic brand celebrated this milestone in classic style and created an unforgettable event for guests.
How will you use Immersive Marketing to Connect with your Audience?
Immersive marketing is designed to engage and connect with audiences in myriad ways and through multiple touch points. As live events continue to merge with virtual and augmented reality, the potential for creating unforgettable marketing experiences is nearly limitless. As consumer demand for more complex and integrated experiences rises, brands must continue to raise the bar with the tools and technologies they use to capture and hold their audience’s attention.
Launching a successful immersive experience requires careful planning, design, budgeting, and implementation. Working with an experienced turn-key company can provide efficiency, cost savings, and peace of mind to your next project. Learn more by scheduling an introduction to Bridgewater Studios today.