Rekorderlig Launches London’s First Ever Mixed Reality Experience

Rekorderlig is bringing Swedish Midsummer to the UK with the launch of London’s first ever mixed reality experience. Situated at Underbelly Festival Southbank, ‘Rekorder-land’ utilises pioneering interactive augmented reality technology to create a beautiful, multi-sensory Swedish world, open to the public to experience for the next six weeks.

Midsummer is one of Sweden’s most beautiful cultural exports, traditionally celebrated on the longest day with abundant floral garlands, music and dancing. In a modern twist, the Rekorder-land experience uses the latest Magic Leap AR headset technology to project holographic imagery and light waves together in the wearers’ vision, blurring the line between the real and virtual worlds. Visitors also will be able to bring their Rekorderlig drinks to life using Snapchat codes accessible in the bar.

Stunning interactive visuals and soundscapes – loosely based on the 2018, all-CGI ad campaign of the same name – combine with the bar itself to create a hyper-real world where fruits and flavours come to life and the sun hangs high in the sky, in an innovative use of the nascent technology.

The experience was created and led by Cake, the sport, culture and entertainment arm of Havas, in partnership with immersive experiences director Connie Harrison and her team including developers All Seeing Eye, immersive set designer Alice Helps, award-winning sound designer Gareth Fry, and creative studio Immersive Me for lighting design.

Visitors to the bar will also have the opportunity to sample the new, limited edition Rekorderlig Botanicals flavour Blackberry-Violet-Juniper, a unique collaboration of fruits and florals, as well as the rest of its much-loved botanicals range, exclusive Rekorderlig cocktails and the classic Rekorderlig cider range. 

Rachel Twemlow, brand manager for Rekorderlig says: “In Year One, we established the hyper-real world of Rekorder-land, a place more Swedish than Sweden across our digital channels. This year, we have made that world a reality, offering consumers a chance to step into the physical iteration of our brand world, where the beauty and flavours of the Rekorderlig family come to life. We’ve combined cutting edge technology and creativity to create a truly immersive brand experience for our fans.”

Shirin Majid, executive creative director at Cake, adds: “Rekorderlig is a modern, social first brand, so we wanted to push the boundaries of the brand experience with a blend of immersive theatre and innovative technology. This is the first time the vast majority of people will be exposed to a mixed reality experience using Magic Leap, and it really adds a new dimension to brand engagement. We’ve been lucky to work with a real dream team of cutting-edge collaborators to create Rekorder-land, and we’re excited to bring it to life for Rekorderlig fans.”

Connie Harrison, immersive experiences director, adds: “I have huge admiration for brands that seek out a new way of doing things, and Rekorderlig has totally embraced this journey of experimentation and discovery. Rekorder-land blends the physical with the digital to immerse people momentarily in a magical place. It’s been a great opportunity to explore the potential of this new medium to bring that to life. The real challenge, and where it gets exciting, is getting the content to work with the world it’s in. It’s been fun learning how Magic Leap works alongside set design, in-room sound, theatrical lighting, and the scents of Rekorderlig.”

The Rekorder-land mixed reality bar will be open to the public from 30 May until 13 July. Tickets (for everyone 18+) are free but limited, and advance booking is recommended. Additional summer activation includes a partnership with Time Out, Snapchat filters led by Zenith Media with creative by Havas London, and a consumer campaign PR led by One Green Bean.