Immersive Concert Experience: The Unforgettable Role of DOOH in PepsiCo's Innovative Campaign
Out-of-home marketing has always been a captivating dance between creativity and the unpredictable nature of the real world. It's like trying to paint a masterpiece on a Rubik's Cube in constant motion. Despite the challenges, some visionary teams, like Grand Visual, manage to make the impossible happen. In a recent venture, they collaborated with PepsiCo to create an out-of-home project that left us in awe of the possibilities, featuring the world of DOOH. Let's dive into the details and discover how Grand Visual helped make it all happen.
This summer, PepsiCo set out to blur the lines between the virtual and physical worlds, offering an immersive concert experience. While Liverpool was the primary focus, the campaign aimed to create a buzz in multiple cities. In partnership with Rockstar and the influential grime artist Stormzy, this fusion of a virtual gig and real-world interactivity became a massive triumph for out-of-home marketing.
Collaborating with Ocean Outdoor, Talon, and SmartMedia Tech, they introduced an Augmented Reality (AR) token hunt, inviting passersby in Liverpool, Manchester, Brighton, and Cardiff to engage and win instant prizes while sampling the Rockstar product range.
In an exclusive interview with Ben Gardiner, head of client services at Grand Visual, we get an inside look at the extraordinary efforts that made this campaign unforgettable. From initial ideation to audience experiences, Ben shares it all.
The Creative Spark Behind the Project
PepsiCo's eagerness to push the boundaries of out-of-home marketing presented a golden opportunity. The partnership with Stormzy and Rockstar was a perfect match for creating something innovative. They aimed to elevate the Spotify virtual gig and dominate real-world space, drawing people into Stormzy's virtual realms. Their weapon of choice: large format, interactive, immersive DOOH.
DOOH: Building Hype for the Virtual Concert Experience
Creative DOOH played a pivotal role in building excitement for the digital concert experience. Teaser assets in key cities hinted at something big happening in Liverpool and London. Station dominations and banner media joined the party to generate hype and anticipation. On the big day, on-site synchronized sound on DOOH screens and more teaser assets fueled the excitement. The countdown graphic added to the thrill, setting the stage for the main event.
Stepping into Five Vibrant Realities: The Technology Behind It
The heart of the immersive experience lay in allowing users to choose their preferred world during the virtual performance. This was achieved through a branded pressure pad experience, where users stepped on different panels to select their virtual world. Synchronized with surround audio, this created the ultimate on-ground viewing experience and immersed the audience in Stormzy's universe.
The AR Token Hunt: A Collaboration with Ocean Outdoor and SmartMedia Tech
The collaboration with Ocean Outdoor and SmartMedia Tech brought an intriguing interactive element to the campaign. Users could scan a QR code on screens and supporting materials to launch a mobile web-based experience. Once signed up, users received a digital Rockstar Wallet to collect tokens and redeem them for real-world prizes. Geo-targeted, 3D AR tokens were scattered throughout the space, creating an engaging treasure hunt.
Empowering the Audience: Choosing Their Virtual World
One of the campaign's unique aspects was giving the audience the autonomy to explore and discover the various virtual worlds in real time. By allowing users to switch between the five virtual universes, they created an unparalleled interactive experience. It was a gig happening across five worlds simultaneously, a groundbreaking concept that put the audience in the driver's seat.
By building a real-world destination for the gig, Grand Visual made the brand an integral part of people's weekend entertainment. They transformed DOOH from a passive medium into an immersive, interactive, and engaging spectacle that ignited local conversations.
Building Buzz with Iconic Placements
Liverpool was the primary target, but London couldn't be left out. Grand Visual worked with Talon to utilize two iconic placements. The BFI IMAX in London placed Stormzy front and center in his hometown. The Outernet, an interactive space, extended the campaign's reach into the capital, creating intrigue and opportunities for audiences to interact with branded content.
In summary, the collaboration between Grand Visual, PepsiCo, and their partners brought the virtual and physical worlds together in an unforgettable out-of-home marketing campaign. DOOH played a central role, creating hype, interactivity, and a sense of empowerment for the audience. This campaign demonstrated the extraordinary potential of merging creativity and technology to captivate the real world. It's a testament to the ever-evolving nature of out-of-home marketing and the endless possibilities that lie ahead in the world of DOOH.
