With COVID-19 numbers on the rise again and many theaters still shut down, television entertainment properties are experiencing increased viewership. Audiences are thirsty for creative outlets to drive both engagement and fandom for summer series such as TNT’s hit sci-fi drama, Snowpiercer. The series is based on the critically acclaimed graphic novels and the 2013 film.
New York-based digital and social Glow has now created an amazing virtual AR experience for the summer series on TNT’s social channels. The agency built upon existing social media AR technology to provide audiences craving virtual pastimes a world-building and much richer experience.
“By and large the industry hasn’t even come close to the innovative plays we’re capable of through the use of AR,” said GLOW Managing Partner Mike Molnar. “Continuing to push the envelope using existing functions in new, creative, immersive and world-building ways will continue to drive AR adoption overall. AR technology is surging, next year at this time AR capabilities will look entirely different and much more robust versus where it stands today.”
Glow is a digital and social agency that creates and produces campaigns for the hottest entertainment properties from YouTube Originals to Hulu, HBO, Nickelodeon, VH1, IFC, and Universal. See a demo of the AR experience below:
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“We’re proud to offer fans a different, narrative-driven immersive AR experience that builds the world of Snowpiercer around our fans,” said Dan Cho, VP Audience Development & Monetization at Turner. “As storytellers, we are committed to pushing current technologies to engage our audience, bring them closer, and let them actually experience our IP in new and fun ways.”
Following the successful Snapchat lens with the same capabilities, TNT launched a custom mobile AR experience for fans of the show on Instagram and Facebook.
Instagram users will be served the unit (Facebook users can search Snowpiercer in stories) and will be guided through the virtual world via simple instructions: wipe to unfreeze the icy screen, tap to find your class (a key plot point from the show), and turn the camera to explore the virtual surroundings.
“It’s a true creative approach pairing existing AR functions with an immersive narrative for fans of the show,” said GLOW Group Creative Director Neil Voss. “AR lenses have largely stagnated at one-off executions or single shares. There’s a much richer experience that we can create for audiences using AR and we built a glimpse of that virtual world available in social feeds.”
Snowpiercer, which has already been renewed for a second season, stars Jennifer Connelly, Daveed Diggs, Alison Wright, Mickey Sumner, Susan Park, Iddo Goldberg, Katie McGuinness, Lena Hall, Annalise Basso, Sam Otto, Roberto Urbina, Sheila Vand and Jaylin Fletcher.
SOURCE: GLOW
Colin Costello is the West Coast Editor of Reel 360. Contact him at colin@reel360.com or follow him on Twitter at @colinthewriter1
