IT Chapter 2
Web AR Experience
In the run-up to the release of IT Chapter 2, a series of real-world events were put together across the globe. To support the IT underground vaults experience below London's Waterloo station, Warner Bros. UK hoped to create a special augmented reality execution, launched from key art and signage on site, with a shareable takeaway to help extend the execution to audiences who couldn't be there in person.
In the run-up to the release of IT Chapter 2, a series of real-world events were put together across the globe. To support the IT underground vaults experience below London's Waterloo station, Warner Bros. UK hoped to create a special augmented reality execution, launched from key art and signage on site, with a shareable takeaway to help extend the execution to audiences who couldn't be there in person.
Bringing Real-World Media to Life
Using advanced image recognition from our partners at Geenee, who also collaborated on the initial creative, we were able to prompt users to scan posters, key art, product packaging, or even trailers for either chapter of IT to launch a short, high-impact experience filled with ominous augmented reality scares and creepy splice cuts of disturbing imagery.
The Clown with the Balloons
The focus of the second film and of our execution was the return of Pennywise, the frightening embodiment of IT, after the events of the first film—and 27 years of hibernation in the in-world timeline.
It was decided early on that we would heavily feature Pennywise's red balloons in the initial augmented reality portion of the experience.
Red balloons are a regular on-screen device in the films, serving not just as a visual motif, but specifically as a herald of the creature, and were the primary feature in the initial theatrical release poster.
A Surprising Reversal
After the initial phase of the experience, in which more and more balloons appear, surrounding the user, the experience rushes headlong into a intense montage of frightening footage from the film.
During this montage, when the user's camera feed is no longer visible, we secretly flip the direction of the camera. Instead of facing out at the world, their camera now points directly back at the user, allowing us to capture a selfie still image.
We present that ambush selfie back to the user alongside a musical sting as an eerie surprise, during which we snap a second still image of the user as Pennywise's surprise.
When the experience climaxes, it resolves on one of two downloadable composite images, both featuring Pennywise gloating over his candid capture.
Beyond Waterloo Station
Warner Bros. promoted the AR experience in the UK through social, display, out-of-home, and through print partners including NME.com and the Evening Standard.
The combination of the unique image recognition that converted these traditional media touchpoints into launchpads, the creepy augmented reality experience, and the unusual "selfie surprise" caught imaginations and attention beyond the bounds of the London vault experience.
"A spine-tingling interactive AR experience...eerie floating red balloons...Pennywise is suddenly there, holding the selfie.”
- Ad Age, Editor's Pick
Warner Bros. Home Entertainment soon began speaking with us about repurposing the IT Chapter 2 experience as part of a larger destination we were designing called Experience WB.
Experience WB
To bring the experience to home entertainment audiences and to better promote both films in the series, we made a series of technical modifications so that the updated experience would run seamlessly inside of Experience WB, alongside experiences for the Wizard of Oz, and The Shining/Doctor Sleep.
We also added new content to support both chapters of IT, including trailers, behind-the-scenes videos, and purchasing links, and we created two 360° "magic window" video players that allowed for the repurposing of pre-existing VR video experiences promoting IT Chapters 1 and 2.
Participating across the UK and US campaigns for IT was a joy for our team. The scary "Chapter 2" follow-up dominated theaters on its release, collecting more at the box office than the rest of the top 10 movies combined, and the home entertainment release debuted at number 1 on combined DVD and Blu-Ray sales charts.
Helping to add to the buzz and conversation around the event film was thrilling for the horror-lovers at Pretty Big Monster, and the opportunity to help to cement IT as a billion dollar franchise was an honor we were all proud of.
You can try out the archived experience here.