ICA
A 360° thrilling adventure: turning an ICA store into a dungeon for Halloween
- experimental
- emerging tech
- campaign
- experience
- concept
- ideation
- creative direction
- art direction
- copywriting
- storytelling
- spooky
Background and objective
In 2016, ICA, Sweden’s largest retailer, embraced the emerging technology of virtual reality to create an unforgettable Halloween campaign. This initiative was part of a pioneering effort to introduce a new 360 video advertising format in collaboration with the media agency and Marvelous, aiming to capture the festive spirit and engage a wide audience in a novel way.
The primary goal was to create a high-engagement, memorable campaign that leveraged virtual reality to stand out during the competitive Halloween advertising season. The campaign aimed to attract widespread attention across Sweden, engage viewers with a captivating narrative, and drive virtual traffic to ICA’s digital platforms.
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Innovative virtual reality setup
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Experimental new ad formats
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Halloween content 🎃
Concept development and execution
The creative concept involved transforming an ordinary ICA store into a spooky, interactive dungeon after hours. The narrative centered around a shopper who, upon choosing a haunted shopping cart, experiences a surreal adventure filled with Halloween-themed horrors. This setting allowed for a playful yet eerie storytelling approach that was both family-friendly and intriguing.
The execution involved meticulous planning and overnight filming to transform the ICA store without impacting its regular operations. The store was decorated to fit the Halloween theme, complete with flickering lights, eerie decorations, and zombie-like staff. Filming was challenging due to the use of 360° VR technology, requiring the production team to remain hidden from view to maintain immersion.
Technology and production
A VR setup was mounted on the shopping cart, turning the shopper into the camera operator for a first-person immersive experience. This setup captured the entire store transformation and the interactions with the spooky characters, providing viewers with an engaging virtual reality experience.
Outcome, metrics and impact
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Perfect relevance score on Facebook
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Unique tech and storytelling boost visibility and engagement
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Demonstrated ICA's leadership in innovative marketing technology
The campaign was highly successful, achieving a Facebook relevance score of 10, indicating perfect alignment with the audience’s interests and preferences. This high score reflected the campaign’s effectiveness in engaging viewers, many of whom watched the entire VR experience. The unique use of VR technology and creative storytelling significantly increased ICA’s visibility and consumer engagement during the Halloween season.
This campaign demonstrated ICA’s innovative approach to marketing, utilizing cutting-edge VR technology to create a unique and engaging advertisement that went beyond traditional formats. It not only increased brand engagement but also positioned ICA as a leader in adopting new marketing technologies.
Conclusion
ICA’s Halloween 360° VR campaign successfully exploited the potential of virtual reality to create a marketing spectacle that was both entertaining and immersive.
By transforming a familiar setting into an interactive dungeon, ICA provided customers with an exciting new way to experience Halloween.
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