This week, Fast Company launched its annual Innovation Festival, featuring Fast Track sessions that take attendees behind the scenes and into the homes of some of the most innovative companies in New York City. Billed as “Fast Company’s unique take on the field trip,” Fast Track sessions engage brands and creatives through hands-on talks and experiences hosted by participating companies, including MediaMonks.

Our New York office opened the doors to the dojo, inviting brands into our home to discuss all things extended reality. In a panel session devoted to augmented reality and its application to music and entertainment, our Monks dove deep into the design and development process of Pharos AR—a mobile AR experience made in collaboration with Childish Gambino, Wieden+Kennedy, Unity and Google. Taking users on a cosmic journey set against an exclusive track from Childish Gambino, the app is notable for being the first multiplayer music video.

With a panel including Snider-Held (Creative Technologist, MediaMonks), Thomas Prevot (Senior Producer, MediaMonks) and Tony Parisi (Head of VR/AR Brand Solutions, Unity), the session served as a casual fireside chat. The conversation kicked off by establishing the state of VR and AR, often characterized by the conflicting feelings that VR is dead and that the clear use case for AR hasn’t yet been found. But both technologies are well established, each excelling in achieving different goals within different environments.

Showcasing our Batman experience as a strong example of the immersive powers of VR, Snider-Held noted that “These experiences are still very installation-based,” and that AR’s distribution through mobile offers the potential for greater reach with a simpler experience. In explaining the process of developing Pharos AR in particular, the group explored key considerations for challenges to consider when developing an extended reality experience.

AR Can Feel Real Without Being Photoreal

Constraint prompts creativity—an adage that applies just as well to AR as any other medium for art making. Because mobile AR experiences are designed for use across a variety of devices, they must be relatively lightweight to provide a smooth experience to the widest share of users. Failure to keep technical constraints at top of mind can instead result in a lagging, stuttering experience that breaks immersion.

While this is true for any digital experience, it’s especially true for AR, a medium which Parisi says aims to “intelligently interact with the real world.” This expectation to seamlessly integrate with the surrounding environment can make stuttering graphics stick out like a sore thumb. “You want to keep the frame rate above 30 frames per second,” says Snider-Held, “because the user will compare the motion on the screen with the action happening around them in reality.”

The trio took this challenge as an opportunity to discuss the highly stylized look achieved with Pharos AR. While a photorealistic graphics might be impractical for a mobile device to realistically render in real time, a stylized look presents the opportunity to differentiate your experience through a strategic choice in aesthetic; for Pharos AR, the team took visual inspiration from Childish Gambino’s laser-punctuated stage shows, ensuring the app’s look and feel naturally integrated with the rest of the artist’s visual brand.

“Stylistically, we were trying to remain within the constraints of mobile processing in a visually appealing way,” said Snider-Held. An example of this is the use of particle effects, in which sparkles of light coalesce into a ghostly image of Childish Gambino as he dances to the music, animated via motion capture. “This is the best example on why you don’t need to do photorealism,” Parisi said. “We were able to capture the essence of Donald, because it’s his dance.”

Carefully Plan the Narrative Environment

Extended reality experiences are interactive by nature, meaning they rely on a different approach than how you would plot out and plan more linear experiences. There’s a careful balancing act between giving users the reigns to explore on their own versus stringing them along a narrative thread. MediaMonks Founder and COO Wesley ter Haar notes that “Narrative UI is key for onboarding and guiding the user in an AR experience,” making it incredibly important that you plan out users’ interactions and use environmental cues to shape a narrative.

While Pharos AR begins and ends through open-ended user interaction, it still follows a clear narrative through the virtual performance of Childish Gambino’s single, “Alogrhythm.” In exploring the primary path through the experience, the team began planning it in storyboard form, much like you would make for a film. “This process not only serves as visual research, but also in briefing the animation team and envisioning how actions will play out in the user’s environment,” said Snider-Held.

That makes sense—but what sets storyboarding for AR or VR different than other forms of digital storytelling? Because users could play with the app in their homes, the team had to plan for other variables how large the virtual scene should be, and what actions would be possible for multiple users to make within a smaller environment—like the cramped living room of a New York apartment, to offer an example that the Fast Track attendees could relate to. The challenge demonstrates how important it is to map out the virtual scene for different scenarios and users.

An interesting insight uncovered in the panel was that the team didn’t just rely on visual methods of planning like maps and storyboards. Due to the nature of the background music building up as users explore the space around them, the team also developed a musical timeline that maps up how different interactions trigger the layering of the music. The step showcases how sensorial, environmental cues can shape the action within an immersive, extended reality experience.

Whether developing for VR or AR, extended reality experiences require developers to rethink the creative approach beyond the standard linear story. From considerations in setting, technical constraints and variations in number of users across platforms, extended reality development relies on a comprehensive understanding of the building blocks that make up a total user experience. Snider-Held capped off the session with an ambition on what MediaMonks aims to achieve with brands through such experiences: “We strive to further the use of the technology from impossible to probable, and experiment in how to further that, too.”

Growing consumption in digital media has brought an increased need in content through which brands can engage directly with audiences. For forward-thinking brands, the single creative idea and hard-sell approach have both stepped aside in favor of new, varied content strategies that take a more nuanced approach by engaging users through personalized content and experiences.

Such strategies enable brands to differentiate themselves and relate to audiences, either by showcasing their values or providing users with emotional, engaging content. But what all powerful content strategies have in common is a storytelling method that caters to a diverse audience’s interests and contexts. From maintaining brand-consumer relationships over the long-term to adapting to new platforms, we’re diving into a few different ways to tell a good story—and the different goals that they can achieve.

Inspire Consumers Across the Digital Ecosystem

One brand whose focus on storytelling has lent value across all consumer touchpoints is Weber. The grilling company realized that its consumers saw greater value in experiences over products, resulting in its “BBQ Cultures” platform that took them on a journey around the world and its diverse barbeque cultures. Employing gorgeous visuals, we worked with Weber and Uncle Grey to build a campaign and website that seeks to both entertain and inspire both novices and grilling experts alike, teaching them everything they need to know about grilling within an immersive environment. Throughout the experience, a narrative undercurrent rendered through film and cinemagraphs inspires users by placing them within several barbeque scenarios.

But we didn’t end the story there. For Weber, BBQ Cultures was just the first step within a larger mission to integrate stronger storytelling in everything they do. Today, the entire digital Weber ecosystem—including its website, app and social accounts—includes inspirational and aspirational content like tips for improving grilling technique, seasonal recipes, stories behind the content creators themselves and CTAs for users to share their own Weber grilling experiences. It’s a notable example of using storytelling not just to set the brand tone and narrative, but to spread it across the user journey to continually inspire and maintain a consumer relationship.

Another way to showcase a brand’s value is through episodic storytelling—which can be especially helpful for CPG brands hoping to stand out by offering useful, informative content. Feminine care brand Always reached adolescent girls in the UK with its “Girl Talk” YouTube series, which seeks to educate about menstruation in an approachable and engaging way. Featuring quizzes and puzzles solved by a relatable and diverse cast of girls, the series seeks to remedy common questions girls may have about their bodies, and informs them about what to expect as they mature. Brands that wish to take a similar, proactive approach to solving problems or answering questions related to their product or industry require a deep understanding of their audience, supported by data and continual user testing.

Seek New Engagement Opportunities with Innovative Storytelling

A key component to effective storytelling is context; early in the content brainstorming process, brands must think about when and where users will begin considering, buying and using the product they aim to support through a narrative. Identifying these different contexts can open up new opportunities to reach or expand, target audiences.

When it comes to having a content-first focus, Mattel is one best-in-class brand. Speaking with our SVP of Growth Nick Fuller at Brand Innovators’ recent Future of Content Marketing and Storytelling event, Mattel’s Chris Keenan (SVP and EP of Global Content Development and Production) shed some light on the brand’s marketing prowess. The Barbie line of fashion dolls has transformed from child avatar to full-fledged role model—complete with her own editorial voice, helping to keep the brand relevant today. Through various forms of digital content, the character now stands for a set of values through which she aids in child development, enjoyed by both children and parents alike.

One platform where you’ll see this is YouTube, where Barbie has become a popular vlogger delving into important topics, like how to deal with unhappy feelings in a healthy way. By maintaining a consistent presence on a platform where kids spend an increasing amount of time, Mattel directly engages with Barbie’s audience to define the brand’s values.

Mattel isn’t the only brand that has turned a key challenge—competing for attention or relevance with digital platforms and influencers—into new opportunities for narrative engagement. Another toy brand that has adapted especially well to digital platforms is Lego. One particularly innovative experience the brand provides through storytelling is its Quest to Legoland app, made in collaboration with VML and MediaMonks, which takes children on one of four imaginary adventures en route to the Legoland Florida Resort. Powered by Google Maps, the app provides kids with fun facts and content related to over a thousand different landmarks that they might pass along the way, eliminating the age-old “Are we there yet?” family road trip refrain.

Ten different minigames ensure the educational journey feels fresh and fun, offering an experience that clicks well with Lego’s goal to help kids discover the world around them through imagination and play. Featuring characters and themes found throughout the Legoland theme park, the app fills in a crucial white space: the otherwise long, boring drive in anticipation of reaching a destination. With this app, the journey truly becomes the destination itself.

Each of the storytelling examples outlined above sought to innovate or expand into new territory through best-in-class narrative or interactive experiences. While embarking on this marketing adventure may feel intimidating at the outset, a clear understanding of your audience, where they are and what you want them to feel when they engage is key. From there, you can begin applying insights to a content strategy that not seeks to not only convert, but truly inspire.