THE CHALLENGE
McArthurGlen Group, one of the most important owners and managers of Outlets in Europe, commissioned Realmore to create an immersive Augmented Reality installation to increase entertainment at La Reggia Designer Outlet during the pre-Christmas and Christmas period.
The aim was to stimulate the interest of families wishing to spend moments of relaxation and entertainment in a typical shopping context. Attracting visitors to the site outside the sales periods requires a major effort in terms of differentiating the services on offer.
Today's retailers have the opportunity to transform the experience, increase engagement on social media and generate positive word-of-mouth through new forms of entertainment rooted in Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality technologies. How could we attract new traffic to the site and deliver a continuous entertainment service covering the pre-Christmas and Christmas period?
PAIN POINTS
- Delivering a spontaneous and engaging user experience is generally difficult due to the limitations of apps that require user engagement to deliver content;
- Channeling the flow of customers to the installation requires placing the technology at the most strategic point in the centre;
- Identifying the most appropriate brand entertainment format to engage an audience of people of all ages.
SOLUTION
Realmore has created a holographic simulation based on Augmented Reality technology with sceneries and "characters" from the Arctic Circle, reconstructing in the smallest details magical winter settings. In a typical Christmas scenario, Father Christmas is in his secret home in Lapland, preparing to embark on a fantastic journey through the lands bordering the Arctic Circle.
Santa passes through Lake Saimaa where the visitor encounters the rare seals that have adapted to fresh water and have lived in this picturesque environment since the end of the last ice age. During the sleigh ride, the viewer immerses himself in the typical fauna of Lapland to discover some of the most fascinating animals that inhabit it today.
The journey continues with an exploration of the Svalbard Islands, located in the Arctic Ocean, halfway between Norway and the North Pole; a unique opportunity to admire the fantastic kingdom of polar bears. At the end of the journey, Father Christmas flies with his reindeer against the backdrop of the Royal Palace of Caserta and lands with his sleigh at La Reggia Designer Outlet to "distribute" presents to all the children.
The cinematically rendered 3D images were supported by a powerful 2x200W sound system that makes the immersive setting even more realistic. The installation involved the use of a mega 400 X 200 LED wall screen with a strong visual impact, an integrated camera filming the surrounding space, and a protective supporting structure with a control booth.
RESULTS
Through the adoption of a personalised AR cinematic experience La Reggia Designer Outlet was able to:
- Increase engagement by generating positive word-of-mouth and attracting new visitors through an innovative entertainment service proposition;
- Engage thousands of people with a unique live experience;
- Generate over + 4,000,000 impressions, + 2,000,000 interactions (likes, comments, shares) of which + 38,000 shares on social networks;
- Transform the in-store customer experience in the typical Christmas time
