LONDON, Sept. 07, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Zappar, a leading global developer of Augmented Reality (AR) experiences and creative tools, announced a product for its client The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts — the nation’s cultural center located in Washington, D.C. — to offer an immersive AR experience to visitors as part of its capital expansion project, the REACH, which opens to the public today.
Developed using Zappar’s powerful AR content creation toolkit, ZapWorks Studio, and using Zappar’s proprietary zapcode technology embedded in the custom built “Tour the Kennedy Center” app, visitors are able to open the app, scan codes placed on signs at nine points of interest in the 17 acre indoor-outdoor campus, and access interactive trivia. This content has been produced in collaboration with children’s author and illustrator Mo Willems, who has taken a two-year position as Center’s first education artist-in-residence — bringing his famous Pigeon character to life through the app.
“Tour the Kennedy Center” takes visitors on a real-life tour by a virtual Pigeon, and offers a chance to learn, explore, and earn prizes. In the app, the Pigeon acts as a personal tour guide, offering up facts about the Center, which visitors need to identify as true or false. Correct answers earn rewards in the form of cookies. Visitors who complete the whole tour are prompted to go to the Kennedy Center Welcome Desk to exchange their cookies for a final surprise.
David Kilpatrick, Director, Education Programs and Productions at The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts commented: “A visit to the Kennedy Center is about more than buying a ticket to see a great show; it’s about learning and exploring through the arts, together. Families know Mo, they know Pigeon, but they may not know the Kennedy Center. With Mo and Pigeon’s help, the ‘Tour the Kennedy Center’ app sets the stage for accessible, active learning, so that families can experience our newly expanded campus, the REACH, in a playful way.”
Keith Curtin, VP of Business Development - North America added: “We are honored to be part of the Kennedy Center’s new project and have our technology support its artistic and educational programming. Research has shown that augmented reality experiences drive greater attention and memory encoding, delivering active learning through doing. We hope to encourage families to explore and engage with the public areas of the Kennedy Center campus.”
The experience is available now, marking the start of the free REACH Opening Festival from September 7–22, 2019.
Download the free Tour the Kennedy Center app on the App Store or Google Play to learn more. For more information about the REACH at the Kennedy Center, please visit: https://reach.kennedy-center.org/
About Zappar
Zappar is the world leader in augmented reality (“AR”) on mobile devices accessible through its free-to-download app on iOS and Android. Zappar specializes in AR-enabled products and entertainment experiences - working closely with brands, license partners and retailers across the world to produce innovative, customizable market-leading solutions as bite-sized entertainment. Partners include Nestle, Unilever, 7-Eleven, PepsiCo, Coca-Cola, Rovio, Minnesota Vikings, Tillys, TD Bank, and Axa.
About The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts
The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts is America’s living memorial to President John F. Kennedy, attracting millions of visitors each year to more than 2,000 performances, events, and exhibits spanning all art forms. The nation’s busiest performing arts center is dedicated to providing world-class art, powerful education, and outstanding memorial experiences to the broadest possible constituency. On September 7, 2019, the Kennedy Center will inaugurate the REACH, its first-ever major expansion. Designed by Steven Holl Associates as a complement to the original, iconic Edward Durell Stone building, the REACH will provide visitors with new opportunities to interact and engage with the Center as the nation’s premier nexus of arts, learning, and culture.
Contact
Codeword for Zappar
zappar@codewordagency.com
For the Kennedy Center
Michelle Pendoley
mapendoley@kennedy-center.org