Snapchat’s AR Studio creates an exclusive augmented reality experience for the 10th-anniversary edition of Daft Punk’s Random Access Memories.
Snapchat’s Paris-based AR studio is teaming up with Daft Punk’s creative team to celebrate the 10th anniversary of Random Access Memories on Friday, May 12, 2023. The studio will unveil “Daft Punk: Memories Unlocked,” a series of augmented reality experiences for fans worldwide.
For the album’s highly anticipated 10th anniversary edition, Snapchat’s AR Studio has created three immersive music experiences. These experiences leverage Snap’s augmented reality technologies like Marker Tech and Image Code, triggering AR experiences by simply scanning an image and features that facilitate geo-targeted AR experiences only accessible in specific locations.
“When we met with Daft Punk’s creative and management team earlier this year, we immediately saw their interest in augmented reality,” says Donatien Bozon, Director of Snapchat’s AR Studio. “This technology allows us to enrich the experience around a work of art and to create innovative and creative interactions between an artist and its audience. We have worked very collaboratively with the Daft Punk team and are very excited for fans to discover the AR experiences created around the cult album Random Access Memories.”
On Wednesday, May 10 at 9 AM CET — 48 hours before the release of the anniversary edition — the track “Horizon,” originally featured on the Japanese version of the 2013 album, will be available to the rest of the world via Snapchat’s augmented reality lenses.
Fans can use the Snapchat camera to scan the original Random Access Memories album cover artwork to reveal a new crystal helmet AR lens and listen to “Horizon,” hidden within the silver and gold helmet. Flipping the camera will allow users to “wear” the crystal helmet while listening to the song.
Additionally, fans can participate in a treasure hunt launching on Thursday, May 11, in 10 locations worldwide. GPS coordinates will be posted on Daft Punk’s social media channels to give fans clues on where to find these ten new AR experiences. The following cities will host the experience:
- Paris, FR
- New York, NY
- Los Angeles, CA
- London, UK
- Berlin, DE
- Mexico City, MX
- Tokyo, JP
- Sydney, AU
- São Paulo, BR
- Buenos Aires, AR
Lastly, from May 11 to 28 in six countries, fans will be able to discover the duo’s new 10th-anniversary crystal helmet through an extensive billboard campaign. Fans can access the new AR lens with the embedded “Horizon” track by scanning the QR code on the billboard. Six countries will be able to experience the new helmet across Paris, New York, Los Angeles, Mexico City, Sydney, London, Liverpool, and Berlin.
Snapchat’s AR Studio is committed to raising awareness of the potential of augmented reality and increasing its impact in the cultural, entertainment, and educational sectors. In June 2021, Snap further invested in the French creative and technological ecosystem by opening the first Augmented Reality Centre of Excellence in Paris.