Dive Brief:
- Spirits company Rémy Martin is rolling out an augmented reality (AR) campaign called “Rooted in Exception” using Microsoft HoloLens technology to present the mixed reality experience, per a joint press release.
- The campaign was created with Kazendi, a European HoloLens development studio, and will launch at a private party in Los Angeles on June 15 and then roll out to luxury retail stories and events worldwide.
- Users can approach a 3-D table on which the HoloLens projects elements of Cognac Grande Champagne and Cognac Petite Champagne vineyards as the Cellar Master of the House of Remy Martin talks about the Fine Champagne region.
Dive Insight:
Mixed reality encompasses both virtual and augmented reality, using immersive technology to bring virtual elements into the physical world. Microsoft HoloLens is one of the best-known examples but its use in marketing scenarios has been limited due to the complexity of the underlying technology and the high cost of HoloLens headsets, which go for around $3,000 apiece.
The growing use of both AR and VR for marketing purposes suggests there is a place for mixed reality as well. Each has made inroads in the past year from the viral success of Pokemon Go to last holiday’s blitz of consumer-friendly VR headsets like Samsung Gear VR and Sony PlayStation VR. More recently, Apple announced ARKit, an augmented reality developer platform rolling out with iOS 11.
Microsoft made HoloLens headsets available to developers a year ago and the company recently revealed there are 150 apps for the platform.
The Rémy Martin effort, as one of the first marketing experiences to use HoloLens, points to the technology's potential for helping brands create immersive stories. Augustin Depardon, Global Executive Director of Rémy Martin, said in the press release that mixed reality "provides an amazing medium for storytelling."
