In light of Easter fast approaching, Method, alongside the Easter Bunny, has created an augmented reality indoor easter egg hunt to keep kids engaged while the country is in lockdown.
As we are told to stay within our homes and with our immediate circle, this year’s Easter may feel different for many families. However, it is still possible to enjoy the holiday and Method is taking it one step further with The Great Indoor Easter Egg Hunt.
Though the power of web AR technology, the process involves drawing, decorating and cutting out Easter egg shapes, hiding them around the house, and then completing a hunt using a mobile phone and The Great Indoor Easter Egg Hunt website.
Once on the website, children hunting the eggs can click “start hunt” and follow on screen instructions. Each time an egg is found, the children can hold it up to the camera to reveal a surprise animation and the next clue.
Method’s managing director Sam Ramlu says as Kiwis are looking for ways to stay connected and sane, the Easter hunt is a great opportunity for families to play and spend valuable time together.
“This is going to be a really unusual Easter for people, so we were thinking, what could we do to bring some joy back in?
“Due to Covid-19, everything has closed down in terms of entertainment, so we wanted to do something family friendly and playful for Easter with the usual Method creative tech spin. No one has been through this before and this lockdown is such an unusual and stressful event, so I think humour and play is going to get us through it.”
The Great Indoor Easter Egg Hunt demonstrates Method’s specialities, such as design, animation, storytelling, gaming, tech and engaging experiences through blending real life with the digital world.
Previous projects include the Secret World of Butterflies expedition at Auckland Museum, a VR experience for Mercury and AR tours of Bastion Point.
With the current lockdown situation, Method has steered from its usual location based experiences to a home-based experience, so that families can engage in Easter fun while remaining safe.
“We love linking the physical with the digital and we know right now, parents are struggling with screen time and how they balance it,” Ramlu says.
“Screen time doesn’t have to be mindless or always the bad guy, and there can be a link to the physical as well. We love the idea of kids drawing the eggs and decorating them, but then the added layer of the digital bringing a surprise to life. They’ll love creating their very own Magic Easter Eggs.”
Aside from the Easter hunt, Method has also recently built web-based augmented reality platform MATTAR, suited for businesses and agencies who want rich, interactive AR experiences. Although client campaigns are on hold during the lockdown, Method saw the opportunity to test the technology with the public.
“We love linking the physical with the digital and we know right now, parents are struggling with screen time and how they balance it,” Ramlu says.
“Screen time doesn’t have to be mindless or always the bad guy, and there can be a link to the physical as well. We love the idea of kids drawing the eggs and decorating them, but then the added layer of the digital bringing a surprise to life. They’ll love creating their very own Magic Easter Eggs.”
The webAR technology is usable both during and after the lockdown as it is contactless and digitally created. Ramlu says Method are ‘playing to win, not just to survive’ through the Covid-19 crisis.
“I know a lot of people are in survival mode at the moment, but we’re thinking long-term.”
“Instead of pausing, we’ve thought, ‘What could we do to accelerate some of our own original IP?’ So we’re doubling down on our efforts to create engaging content. Let’s get people being more playful, instead of panicking.
Find out how to be involved here.
CREDITS
Producers – Sam Ramlu, Hannah Rogers, Tanya Smith
Designers – Sophie Douglas, Matt Power
Animation – Roshan Nowshad, Lahiru De Silva
Development – Caitlin Palmer, Preston Thomas, Nikesh Gajera
UX Testing – Bella Ali, Matt van der Haas, Andrew Welsh, friends and family
Copy & Script – Mark Easterbrook, Louis Mendiola
Sound & Voice – Akau Studios – James Dean, Sama Dean – Narrator, Evangeline Dean – Bunny (shhh don’t tell the kids!)
PR/Marketing – Maloney Maloney, Elly Strang, The Social Club, Firefly Digital
