Shibuya, one of Tokyo's most iconic neighborhoods, has been center stage for Halloween partygoers in recent years. But COVID all but ruled out gathering in any overcrowded streets in 2020.

The objectives for the two clients for the Halloween holiday were clear: Shibuya City, wanted to become known as Tokyo's most energetic tech hot-spot, a sort of cool Silicon Valley that would attract high-tech youth and companies alike; while au, one of Japan's biggest telecoms, wanted to prove their tech prowess in providing the most forward-thinking online services.

We decided to bring these brands together and combine the asks with a single, mutually beneficial platform solution.

As Halloween approached, the widely enjoyed holiday in Japan couldn't be normally celebrated, not in COVID-stricken 2020. So, instead, the two brands, Shibuya and au, built, block-by-block, a virtual Shibuya City that would hold the largest ever Halloween gathering.

Visitors were able to interact with others by creating their own avatars, which were able to move about and communicate with others on the platform, as they viewed a variety of top-notch Japanese entertainment, turning Shibuya's Virtual Halloween into the talk of the town.

AR experience

Japan

Shibuya

Virtual Experiences

COVID-19

Avatar

commerce