Disney wanted the press to experience its new cruise ship virtually. Normally the press would be invited aboard to experience it in person, but with the pandemic brewing and the ship’s construction in its early stages, the challenge was to design an experience around something that wasn’t yet built.
The solution
We designed the press kit of the future, an immersive home activation that awakened all the senses and brought the cruise ship to life through AR. The Storybox played the ship’s horns and When You Wish Upon a Star when opened, and included a custom magic wand that activated an Instagram AR filter, a color-changing cocktail kit garnished with pixie dust, and a fragrance with the same custom scent you’d smell on the Disney Wish.
Each press box came with a model ship that was more than decoration. It was the anchor for an episodic augmented reality tour of the interior spaces. Viewed through a phone or tablet, the ship came to life on virtual seas, and new episodes were released over six months, proving the press kit could live beyond the unboxing.
“It’s indescribably wonderful! It’s honestly the most impressive amenity component we’ve ever done. We’ve done some beautiful amenities before, but the way this so beautifully is themed to the show, and the quality of the packaging and placement… it’s just absolutely top-notch!”
The details
The box was designed to look like a storybook, with gold foil highlighting design elements to add depth and sparkle. We worked closely with Disney Imagineering and Yellow Shoes on the branding of every element. Since the ship was still being built, the only design assets we received were the logo lockup, a carpet sample and the layout of the lobby. We connected the Storybox to the interiors by pulling flourishes and graphic elements from the carpet design, and Disney adopted that design language for all of its integrated marketing and the virtual show.
The virtual show
The Storybox was a companion piece to a virtual show Disney produced. Disney liked the box so much that it used our branding and the Storybox itself to launch the show.
