Michael

Holographic Experience | Social AR

HMNSnap

the Objective

Turn the emotional connection audiences already have with Michael Jackson into active excitement for the worldwide theatrical release of Michael.

  • Focus on the powerful music and theatrics that is core to Michael Jackson's legacy
  • Invite audiences to participate in the story through interactive experiences
  • Drive organic, shareable moments that extend the campaign beyond where it lives
  • Deliver frictionless experiences that are easy to activate for the best possible UX


OUR APPROACH

The Michael Jackson 2026 biopic is more than just a retelling of the popstar's life. It is a celebration of his music that is still so beloved around the world. The earworm melodies and toe-tapping rhythms in Michael's catalog of hits make it difficult not to spring into dance when you hear it. And lucky for us, no one has better dance moves than the king of pop.

With an arsenal of iconic songs and universally recognizable dance moves, we built this campaign around a simple truth: Michael's music makes people move and have fun like very few others. We built two experiences that let them relive that energy in an interactive way, making users part of Michael's music, story, and legacy.

Hologram Dance Experience

Partnering with the Hologram Media Network, PBM transformed 57 high-traffic theater lobbies and shopping malls into holographic dance studios.

To do it, we filmed Jaafar Jackson, Juliano Valdi, and legendary Michael Jackson choreographers Rich and Tone teaching audiences how to Moonwalk, Circle Glide, and Mashed Potato in three unique :60 experiences. At the conclusion of the tutorial, users were directed to a branded microsite via QR code where they could share their recorded dance video and find a link to ticketing.

Unlike the passive engagement typical of DOOH campaigns, moviegoers, shoppers, families, and fans actually stopped, learned the dances, and showed off their moves.

The experience generated 12.47 million impressions, reached an engaged audience of 1.83 million people, and accumulated 29,740 hours of total dwell time. Those who actively engaged remained for an average of 32 seconds, demonstrating the power of participation.


Bitmoji Moonwalk Party

To introduce Michael to a new generation, Lionsgate partnered with Snapchat and PBM on the first-ever sponsored Bitmoji Moonwalk Party Lens. Inspired by the film's Billie Jean performance sequence, the Lens opens on a lineup of Bitmojis performing synchronized choreography with the user's own Bitmoji center stage.

Using Snapchat's unique friend graph, users could swap the surrounding dancers for friends from their network, creating a personalized performance starring the people they know best. Every video became original content unique to the user, and something fans wanted to capture, share, and send directly to the friends featured and more.

The Lens reached more than 8 million unique users, generated over 11 million impressions, and drove 125,000+ shares.

The Result

By turning public spaces into stages and fans into performers, the Michael Holograph and Snap interactive experiences wrapped audiences up in the film's upbeat energy and MJ nostalgia in an authentic, engaging way.


12.47 Million Impressions

  • 1.83 million engaged audience members
  • 29,740 hours of total dwell time
  • 32-second average engagement among active participants


20,000+ User-Generated Videos

  • Fans became creators, amplifying the experience organically across social platforms
  • Participants converted into the campaign's most powerful form of promotion


8 Million+ Snapchat Users Reached

  • 11 million+ impressions from the first-ever sponsored Bitmoji Dance Party Lens
  • 125,000+ shares, each one a personalized performance sent friend to friend