For the first time in 20 years, Pepsi didn’t run an in-game Super Bowl commercial. Instead, they chose to utilize their half-time performance and created an entire campaign that went beyond a single moment and into a long-form immersive experience. The halftime show was turned into an integrated campaign. Within this campaign, Pepsi created an augmented reality (AR) experience, ‘The Walk’, by taking the viewer on a journey to the Super Bowl halftime performance. An experience that was accessible to anyone with a smartphone. Pepsi is shifting away from the traditional and into the digital—making it clear that digital now includes AR. So, what can we take away from Pepsi’s exploration into extended reality?
- AR extends campaigns beyond their natural end date. Rather than a 30-second commercial spot among all the other commercials, they were able to utilize what they already had — the half-time show — and extend it into a six-week immersive experience. The audience was able to experience the performance through ‘The Walk’ before the Super Bowl and they will be able to experience it after as well.
- AR can bring fans closer to the action. With everyone locked down at home, without live music or concerts over the past year, the ability to transport consumers to a live-concert experience they can enjoy multiple times is invaluable. Many people have been longing to sit in person and enjoy a live show, the ability to immerse them in an AR experience is a great alternative.
- People crave an exclusive experience. By offering an exclusive opportunity that requires a specific product, companies will get consumers to purchase their product. In this case, Pepsi sold specially marked cans of Pepsi with a QR code that gave them access to an AR selfie lens on Instagram. Without this QR code, consumers could not access it. Generating demand beyond a product but also for an experience to get people excited and engaged with the brand.
- AR experiences should navigate the viewer and utilize multiple senses. ‘The Walk’ took the viewer down a tunnel, seeing glimpses of The Weeknd’s journey that got him where he is today — walking out onto the field for the Super Bowl halftime performance. This was a great execution of AR but still showed room to improve. Some improvements could be when the viewer strays from what they are to be focused on, the experience should guide them back. ‘The Walk’ did a great job with visually directing the viewer to look forward and around at the passing images, but the experience did not take into account sound as a guiding factor. Sound is just as much a part of the AR experience as sight. In this experience, sound stayed consistent throughout, regardless of where the viewer looked. To improve this, volume should vary depending on where the viewer’s focus is intended to be, i.e. full volume where their attention should be and lower volume when they stray. This would allow viewers to get the most of the experience and for the intended message to come across in the intended manner.
Pepsi’s decision to forgo the traditional and embrace the emerging future of digital media continues to show that AR is becoming increasingly more commonplace in consumer’s everyday lives and will continue to shape brand engagement. So, the question to ask now is how will other brands continue to benefit from augmented reality? The possibilites are endless.
