A recent survey by JWT found that seven out of 10 adults want to be part of immersive experiences. Close to six out of 10 said they are looking for experiences that engage all their senses.
For too long marketers have been focussed on visual messages through predominately digital channels. The explosion in tangible experiences such as Punch Drunk, pioneers of the immersive theatre phenomenon, is proof that today’s always-on customer is looking for more than a digital interaction. At London’s 2013 NYE fireworks display, Vodafone took revellers on a journey of sights, smells and sounds as clouds of smoke scented with strawberry and apple filled the air.
Going beyond experiential marketing as we know it, immersive experiences leverage our senses to communicate the essence of the brand. And there’s good reason. Sensory expert Simon Harrop says smell, sound and taste have a direct connection to the part of our brain which is responsible for creating emotions and memories, whereas words and pictures are quickly forgotten.
The Campo Viejo Colour Lab was the world’s largest multi-sensory wine experiment, where visitors could learn how colour and sound would affect their taste. The inspiration for the event came from the brand’s colourful wine label. It was part of the Streets of Spain celebration on London’s South Bank centre.
Drinkers were drenched in coloured light as they tasted an unknown wine from a glass. As the lighting changed from red to green they were asked to rate how this affected their taste. The results, which were corroborated by a professor at Oxford University, suggest that red light can increase our enjoyment of wine by 9%, whereas green light brought out the wine’s freshness. Campo Viejo will use these insights to inform on-trade partners and internal marketing teams.
Agency: Miss Jones & Co
ITV created a fan park for the 2014 World Cup where people thousands of miles away in Manchester could experience the sights and smells of Brazilian beaches, freshly cut grass from the Arena de Sao Paulo stadium and halftime oranges. The scents were released at various points in the game.
Agency: Hometown
Audio-visual artworks at Diageo’s Johnnie Walker House in Seoul evoke the character and flavour of the whisky, such as honeycomb, orange and smoke. The artwork was inspired by synaesthesia, where the brain ‘sees’ sounds and ‘tastes’ colour. The house itself is a mutli-sensory physical interpretation of the drink.
Agency: LOVE & Universal Everything
Herb and spice brand Schwartz created a sonic poster that allowed people see, hear and feel flavour. The poster connected with the user’s mobile via Bluetooth to play sounds as the touch-sensitive inks were activated.
Agency: Grey London, London
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