Live Nation brings the concert experience to life with new AR products for brands
Live Nation gives “live” new meaning with the launch of its augmented reality products, designed to create a multifaceted experience for concert and festival audiences — whether they’re on site or at home.
As revealed at the Cannes Lions International Festival on 20 June, Hyundai will pioneer the technology, using a selection of Live Nation’s AR products to promote the 2020 Sonata at Atlanta’s 25th annual Music Midtown festival in September.
“There is nothing more magical than the live experience. Fans will always want to see their favorite artists live,” Kevin Chernett, executive vice-president of global partnerships and content distribution at Live Nation told The Drum. “We … see that these products can provide brands the opportunity to help connect fans near and far with their favorite artists and leverage emerging technology to enhance the physical experience for fans on site.”
The 2020 Sonata will be showcased using Live Nation’s AR Livestream, which – for the first time ever – will allow fans at home to point the app to a flat surface and project a three-dimensional, four-sided, rotatable viewer so they can view selected performances, as well as a custom 3D version of the car.
“The 2020 Sonata is Hyundai’s most technologically advanced sedan ever that aims to make the daily ride better,” Dean Evans, chief marketing officer of Hyundai Motor America, said in a release. “That’s why partnering with Live Nation to utilize the latest in AR technologies to enhance the fan experience is in perfect alignment.”
The new model will also be integrated into the AR VIP Access feature, where users, on site or at home, can access distinctive vantage points of the festival, from backstage to the soundboard, using 360-degree camera technology to capture it all.
“Our mission with the partnership is to naturally integrate the Sonata and its premium design and suite of technology features into the AR experience in a way festival-goers are sure to appreciate,” Evans said.
Other Live Nation AR features include:
Fast Lens – A component that allows fans at the festival to access lineups and set times for any of the stages by simply pointing their phones toward it. In the testing alone, the feature yielded positive results. “We are seeing incredible insights from our tests last year with AR Fest Lens,” Chernett said. “We saw that on average, fans used the product seven times with a 25-second engagement window showing us that people were able to use the product, get what they needed quickly and continue enjoying the festival.”
Intermission – Between sets, brands have the opportunity to reimagine what a stage looks by creating engaging entertainment for users while they wait for the next act.
Photo Opp – For those who live by “pics or it didn’t happen,” this feat offers branded backdrops within venues so fans can take pictures with AR filters and 3D artwork that blends the physical and digital worlds.
“More than 90% of live music fans globally say brands can enhance the live experience, and augmented reality presents endless opportunities,” Chernett said in a release. “The ability to drive culture through creativity while also adding value to fans allows brands to elevate expectations at live music events.”
Even fans that can’t make it out Georgia in the fall can enjoy the festival — and the Sonata 2020 — through the Music Midtown app.
Live Nation previously experimented with virtual reality in partnership with Hulu.
