Netflix wanted to create a visually stunning and immersive activation at Xbox Plaza in LA Live to support the broader “Rift” campaign from Stranger Things Season 4. NVE was tasked with finding a way to standout amidst many other promotional (Rift specific) activations happening globally while seamlessly blending and working with two large-scale brands. Full creative development to production of the event had to be executed in 4 weeks.
Stranger Things has always been a cultural phenomenon, and we needed to bring that to the forefront while finding a way to actually immerse a wildly engaged fanbase. Overall, Netflix was kick-starting a global rift takeover in key markets – we wanted to latch on to this excitement and bring the activation to life in a new and unique way.
Stranger Things fans, Xbox gamers, and the general public alike came together to “prove their power” and take their chances at closing the rift. In partnership with our interactive studio COGNITION, we developed a custom application that tracked participants movements with depth sensing cameras. At random, a guest’s “power level” was determined, and various levels of energy would trigger immersive special effects in the space, including flickering lights, smoke/haze, and environmental vibration throughout.