Solarflare Studio Unveils AR Experience of David Bowie's Camden Music Walk of Fame Stone

Solarflare Studio partnered with The Music Walk of Fame to transport fans into an AR world of Bowie's legacy at the unveiling of David Bowie's stone in Camden on 22nd September. Solarflare Studio, who work with global agencies and brands to create innovative, world-class projects in the real world, the digital realm, the metaverse, and beyond, developed a unique web experience, to mark the stone’s unveiling, and celebrate the recent release of Moonage Daydream, an experiential biopic by director Brett Morgen, about David Bowie, which is out in UK cinemas now.

The augmented reality experience allowed thousands of visitors to the stone unveiling in Camden High Street to explore Bowie's guise through moving images, lyrics, and Bowie’s own voice, while surrounded by artwork from Moonage Daydream, as well as iconic design moments from Bowie's creative, spiritual and musical journey.

Built in Blippar’s Blippbuilder, this web based experience created an AR world of David Bowie, accessed with a simple QR-code scan, with no need to download an app.

After scanning the QR code, hallucinatory nebulae formed around the user in an AR space - presenting the key art of Moonage Daydream in a beautiful 360º panorama.

Floating in the space, key objects from Bowie’s legacy could be interacted with, such as the iconic Aladdin Sane lightning bolt, which once clicked, revealed a retro TV-set in the foreground, filling the screen, revealing glimpses of Bowie’s monumental career. Accompanying the experience the voice of Bowie himself shared insight from his dazzling career, while highlights played alongside. The experience can be viewed here: An Augmented Space Oddity

The QR code was displayed on flyers and signage during the sunny ceremony packed with attendees, music and pure celebration. As Bowie’s drummer Woody Woodmansey along with other collaborators, unveiled the stone, the complementary activation allowed users to step into a moment that commemorated his sound and vision as an internationally recognised artist. 

John Martinelli, head of production for Solarflare Studio commented, “It was such an honour for us to be involved in the commemoration of such an iconic musician and I could see from the reaction of the thousands of visitors that they thoroughly enjoyed getting up close and personal with Bowie’s life and legacy by interacting with our AR experience. Bowie was first and foremost an artist, but I think his futuristic attitude means he would have enjoyed the experience if he were here today.”

Woody Woodmansey, Bowie's drummer commented: "There are so many technological discoveries that if Bowie was around, he would have been on it. When we sign contracts with Bowie's estate, it covers everything future-wise. He was always thinking of the future. In the early days, when we talked about what we wanted to do, we always had eyes set on the future. He was a genius."