Experiencing the digital, physically
Russell Schaller, Executive Creative Director at Cheil, looks at the best examples of brand events which have successfully combined the digital and physical during a period when (enforced) staying in is the new going out.
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Look at any given weekend of 2020 and you’ll have been able to find some sort of live event taking place.
From Take That live streams to PlayStation product launches, stay at home orders have failed to put a stop to some of the biggest events of the year, and organisers have been able to find new, creative ways to keep audiences engaged.
Staying inside seems to only have heightened our need for togetherness.
If anything, staying inside seems to only have heightened our need for togetherness, and digital events have provided an entertaining escape from the realities of the outside. As lockdowns have been tightened and eased and then tightened up again, some events have been able to take place both in-person and online with new restrictions in mind, which has led to the birth of a new genre of event that combines the in-person with the digital.
Above: Meerkat Music's Take That live stream over the first UK lockdown was a big hit.
Catering to a small in-person audience while creating an online event interface has meant that brands are able to maximise participation during this new era of events. For those at home, seeing the physical spectacle can make a digital event that bit more engaging.
Zoom fatigue is very real, and to create an event that captures the attention of an audience, organisers have to start thinking more creatively.
As we approach the festive period, brands will be looking to provide their audiences with some much needed festive fun more than ever this year. Hybrid digital-physical events are a great way to connect with audiences. For those who are longing to escape the confines of the house, a physical display that can be witnessed from a safe social distance is an exciting prospect, and for those who remain cautious, the online element can be just as fun and engaging, so long as organisers design with both audiences in mind.
Samsung, for example, just announced that it is using its KX store as a filming studio to enable hybrid events to take place, showing that the appetite for this new type of event is high. However, Zoom fatigue is very real, and to create an event that captures the attention of an audience, organisers have to start thinking more creatively.
Some of the most successful and engaging examples of events this year have taken place within games.
Having an in-person and an online audience isn’t the only way to create a hybrid event. Some of the most successful and engaging examples of events this year have taken place within games. From Fortnite to Animal Crossing, in-game events are the perfect way to engage an audience because it's a familiar environment to them. The participant is engaged both digitally and physically as they are able to control their own avatars and move around the virtual world freely and brands are able to create an immersive experience.
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Above: Before the coronavirus hit and events such as Brazil's BGS were still possible, Fortnite still took the decision to create an in-game booth for fans who couldn't afford to attend.
During the height of lockdown, whilst all bars were shut, Brahma Duplo Malte was able to launch in-game using an 18+ Grand Theft Auto server, Cidade Alta. Cheil Brazil created an in-game brewery and a mission that players could take part in to deliver the drink to bars around the city. At a time where an in-person launch could not take place, this gaming event was streamed by influencers to an audience of over 1.3 million, far larger than could be achieved in person.
Another great example of an in-game event was through the use of Fortnite, one of the largest multiplayer online games, with around 350 million users worldwide. Earlier in the year, for people unable to attend BGS, one of the largest Brazilian gaming shows, Fortnite created their exhibitor booth in-game so that players could be a part of the event from the comfort of their own home. The levels of engagement on Fortnite make it a great place for brands to host events or launches too, such as the in-game photoshoot by the makers of Deadpool.
Above: Fortnite launched a new Deadpool skin with an in-game photoshoot.
Augmented reality is also a great tool to engage home audiences and bring a piece of the event physically into peoples living rooms. With the improvement of smartphones, AR camera lenses mean that clunky headsets that can actually be more isolating than immersive are not necessary to enjoy the fruits of AR any more. Mixed reality elements of events that users can place within their own environments can bring the experience right into the audience's living room. The improved tech that is now so readily at our disposal makes 2021 an exciting year to embrace these sorts of hybrid events.
It’s advertising 101; we should be led by objective rather than medium.
But, equally, tech for tech’s sake can actually stifle the flow of an event. One of my favourite events that we put on at Cheil was our Christmas data quiz, where we created an Amazon Skill to be the quizmaster, then sent out physical quiz boards so that people could play virtually as well as with the tech. In this case, the tech was able to enhance the physical experience rather than distract from it. Any good event, in person or otherwise, should be designed with the audience in mind. So many times we see gimmicks used that can actually take away from the overall success. Working back from the purpose of the event, considering what needs to be achieved and then organising with the audience in mind ultimately leads to the most engaging occasion. It’s advertising 101; we should be led by objective rather than medium.
Any good event, in person or otherwise, should be designed with the audience in mind.
Digital events, when done well, can actually feel more human. People aren’t expected to leave children with babysitters or traipse across busy cities to attend an event only to be sat behind the tallest person in the room. Digital events should be both entertaining and easy, catering to human needs rather than seeing attendees as seat fillers. Hybrid events have the ability to reach more people in a more personal way, epitomising inclusivity over exclusivity. For brands that wish to bring consumers together over the festive period, hybrid events are a great place to start.
