At the Nike 6.0 BMX Open Tour, in Chicago today and tomorrow, Total Immersion will be showing a fun Augmented Reality game based on scratch-off cards.
Every visitor to the Nike tent will receive a scratch-off card, offering a chance to win a pair of Nike 6.0 shoes and additional prizes – all based on the spinning wheels of the first-ever AR-generated slot machine. To activate the slot machine, the attendee displays the card in front of a camera, and his or her image is projected onto a larger screen. On screen, the card morphs into a big 3D slot machine that then appears in the attendee’s hand. The slot machine counts itself down and automatically spins – and if three matching images appear, it lights up and rings to celebrate the winner. Several winners will be declared daily.
Initially at the Chicago Nike6.0 event, this will be touring with the Dew Tour in Boston, Portland, Salt Lake City, and Orlando. The AR system is also available on the Nike website from any webcam-enabled computer, although you will need a Spectator Guide to use it. I figure those will be available online as well in a day or two.
See the full press release after the break.
Total Immersion Unveils First Augmented Reality Slot Machine, Created for Nike 6.0; Debuts at Dew Tour Nike 6.0 BMX Open Action Sports Event
Nike 6.0, Part of Nike’s Action Sports Division, Offers Action Sports Fans New Kind of Interaction with Athletes — And the Chance to Win Nike 6.0 Shoes
LOS ANGELES, Jun 25, 2009 (BUSINESS WIRE) — It takes an innovative approach to make a brand stand out at an event where one action sports athlete after another defies the laws of gravity. As part of Nike 6.0’s commitment to innovative and rich brand interaction with action sports fans, augmented reality pioneer Total Immersion (www.t-immersion.com) has teamed up with ad agency Wieden+Kennedy to offer the first-ever augmented reality slot machine.
The AR slot will debut at the Nike 6.0 BMX Open Dew Tour, held in Chicago June 26-27, and will be featured at all of the Dew Tour stops in Boston, Portland, Ore., Salt Lake City and Orlando.
Attendees of the Dew Tour Nike 6.0 BMX Open will be able to virtually interact with some of their favorite 6.0 athletes, such as Dennis Enarson, with AR technology, which blurs the line between the virtual and real worlds. Those onsite at Nike 6.0 BMX Open will have two different opportunities to experience AR at the event – and, later, at home.
Every visitor to the Nike tent will receive a scratch-off card, offering a chance to win a pair of Nike 6.0 shoes and additional prizes – all based on the spinning wheels of the first-ever AR-generated slot machine. To activate the slot machine, the attendee displays the card in front of a camera, and his or her image is projected onto a larger screen. On screen, the card morphs into a big 3D slot machine that then appears in the attendee’s hand. The slot machine counts itself down and automatically spins – and if three matching images appear, it lights up and rings to celebrate the winner. Several winners will be declared daily.
In a separate, highly engaging augmented reality experience, AR athletes come to life in video, displayed in the visitor’s hand. By holding the Nike 6.0 ad inside the Spectator Guide up to a webcam-equipped laptop in the Nike tent, the visitor triggers a selection of videos featuring favorite athletes. As the visitor sees his or her own image on the screen, the athlete appears – with sight, sound and motion – right in the participant’s hands. Visitors will be able to use their Spectator Guides to re-create that same AR experience from any webcam-enabled computer at home; simply visit http://www.Nike6.com and follow the instructions.
“With AR, we’re providing action sports fans a type of interaction with the 6.0 athletes resulting in a futuristic and engaging 6.0 brand experience,” said Stephanie Derham, Nike 6.0 Brand Connections Manager. “Augmented reality reflects our commitment to innovation and the Dew Tour provides a great connection point between the 6.0 brand, our athletes, and the fans.”
“Augmented reality gives brands an effective way to interact with any audience, but it’s especially beneficial at an event like this that attracts such a passionate, active crowd of young people,” said Bruno Uzzan, CEO and co-founder, Total Immersion. “Introducing AR to the world of action sports is a significant and natural move for us. It’s also the first big consumer event we’ve done with an AR contest component.”
“Our goal is always to help companies like Nike build strong and provocative relationships with their customers,” said Tenny Park, Associate Media Director, Wieden+Kennedy. “Augmented reality elevates a consumer’s interaction with a brand to an entirely new level.”
The Dew Tour is organized by the Alliance of Action Sports. Nike 6.0, part of Nike’s action sports division, is the title sponsor for the Chicago stop of the Dew Tour – which is the first-ever BMX-only event on the tour. Total Immersion partnered with Nike’s ad agency, Wieden+Kennedy, to mastermind the augmented reality experiences for Nike.
Total Immersion maintains the world’s largest R&D team dedicated to augmented reality. Using its patented D’Fusion software, Total Immersion creates experiences that blur the line between the virtual world and the real world by integrating real-time interactive 3D graphics into a live video stream. The market for AR applications is vast – from digital marketing, advertising, entertainment and gaming to education, science and medicine.
The Dew Tour is now the most watched and attended action sports property in the world. Attendance for the 2008 Dew Tour’s events totaled nearly 275,000 and an average of 41 million viewers tuned in via NBC and USA.
About Total Immersion
Total Immersion (www.t-immersion.com) is the global leader in augmented reality. Through its patented D’Fusion(TM) technology, Total Immersion blurs the line between the virtual world and the real world by integrating real time interactive 3D graphics into a live video stream. Leading the augmented reality category since 1999, the company maintains a presence in Europe and the U.S., and supports a network of partners worldwide.
About Nike 6.0
Nike 6.0 defines innovation and embodies the creativity of youth, united by action. Nike 6.0 delivers footwear and apparel to support the new generation of action sports athletes who are changing the worlds of surf, snow, moto, BMX, wake and freeski. Their unlimited potential and contagious energy deliver the future through performance and lifestyle. www.nike6.com.
SOURCE: Total Immersion
that would be cool to try!