Brief:

• Hyundai sponsored augmented reality (AR) experiences in a mobile app that concert promoter Live Nation created for its Music Midtown festival in Atlanta over the weekend. The Music Midtown app gave festival attendees an immersive view of the redesigned 2020 Sonata sedan and its key features, according to a press release.
• Attendees who download the Music Midtown app were allowed entry to the #HyundaiBackstage lounge, where they could try out Live Nation's new AR products, such as its AR Livestream and VIP Access features to showcase immersive views of live performances. The lounge also offered photo opportunities, giveaways, an LED wall with livestreamed video of the festival and the Sonata and Venue models on display.
• The Music Midtown app also had an AR Fest Lens to help attendees navigate the festival grounds. By pointing their smartphone camera at festival stages, attendees could see a virtual lineup of performers and upcoming acts. Hyundai also sponsored the Music Midtown Live Stream on Twitter in the U.S. and globally on YouTube for fans who couldn't attend the festival in person. Hyundai worked with its agency Innocean USA on the campaign.

Insight:

Hyundai's sponsorship of the Music Midtown app, announced earlier this year, was part of a multichannel effort that included experiential and AR activations to provide immersive brand experiences. The AR features of the app showcased Hyundai's products while giving viewers a chance to see exclusive livestreams of the festival, whose four-stage lineup this year included Travis Scott, Cardi B, Billie Eilish and Panic! at the Disco.

Hyundai has adopted AR technology in various ways to engage and educate consumers. The carmaker introduced immersive car manuals in 2015 and last year invested in WayRay, an AR startup that's developing holographic displays for cars. Other automakers such as Mercedes-Benz also have tapped AR technology to connect with younger generations. The luxury brand in May released an AR filter on Instagram to advertise an entry-level car for millennials.

As smartphones and social media have become important parts of musical festivals for navigation, taking photos and videos and sharing content online, Live Nation has increasingly incorporated mobile technology aimed at appealing to today's tech-savvy young adults and teens. Live Nation this year launched a concert and festival series that's only available on Twitter, as part of the social network's expanded lineup of live and on-demand video programming. Recording artists also are experimenting with integrations of AR and live performances, as seen with Eminem's Coachella performance in 2018 and U2's Experience + Innocence Tour that relied on mobile apps.