In 2024, the opportunities to see and hear the word "immersive" have increased significantly, such as the opening of "Immersive Fort Tokyo," the world's first immersive theme park, in March 2024. "Immersive experiences" are attracting attention not only as new experiences for consumers, but also as a new means for companies to convey the appeal of brands and products.
In this article, for those who have questions such as "I often hear about immersive experiences, but what are they actually?" or "They say it appeals to Gen Z, but what is so different about it?"
We will explain in an easy-to-understand manner everything from the definition of the much-talked-about immersive experience to the latest case studies and how to utilize it for promotions and stores.
"Immersive" is an English word that means "a sense of immersion" or "to be absorbed in."
An immersive experience, as the name suggests, refers to an experience where participants deeply enter into content or a space and feel as if they have become a part of it.
While conventional experiential content provided one-way stimulation to the audience (participants), the biggest feature of the immersive experience is that participants can deeply involve themselves in the story or experience as "involved parties" rather than "spectators." A mechanism is provided where your own actions affect the progress of the story and the content of the experience, and it is designed so that you can enjoy special moments for each experience.
Furthermore, the appeal of an immersive experience lies in the fact that it fully utilizes the five senses, not just sight, but also hearing, touch, and smell. In recent years, such "five-sense design" has become more sophisticated, with an increase in experiential content that combines sound, fragrance, texture, etc.
In 4DX cinemas, you can feel effects such as seat vibrations, wind, water spray, and scents in sync with movie scenes, and as technology advances, environments that provide immersion in daily life are expanding. These productions are being incorporated not only in movie theaters but also in storefronts and event spaces.
For example, by utilizing spatial design that replicates forest scents or sea breezes, flooring that changes tactile sensations, and surround sound that resonates throughout the space, a realistic experience design is created that goes beyond relying solely on visuals, making you feel as if you are actually there.
Amidst the spread of such initiatives, the immersive experience has become a new approach attracting attention in a wide range of fields, not only in entertainment but also in marketing measures such as product PR events, education, and tourism.
There are several factors behind why immersive experiences are attracting attention. From here, we will explain the reasons from three perspectives.
In recent years, consumer values have changed "from things to experiences." The value of owning things has faded, and more people are finding value in "special experiences only for that moment" or "time that remains in memory."
For example, as travel, events, and participatory activities are gaining popularity, the trend of "toki-shohi" (consumption of time), where people feel value in experiences rather than things and spend money accordingly, is expanding. Among them, the "immersive experience," where you can have a more special experience, can be said to be the perfect choice for consumers who seek non-ordinary experiences.
The second reason why immersive experiences are spreading is the evolution of technologies such as VR (Virtual Reality), AR (Augmented Reality), and the metaverse. Such technology has become an indispensable foundation for supporting immersive experiences.
For example, wearing VR goggles to feel as if you have entered another world, or using AR to introduce digital productions into real space, various technological advancements are creating new experiences.
The third reason is high compatibility with social media posts.
Immersive experiences, which provide visually appealing performances and surprises, have the characteristic of being easy to record in photos and videos and being highly likely to spread on social media.
You have probably all seen posts with "#teamLab" on social media, haven't you?
Photos and videos taken by consumers at the art facility "teamLab Borderless" in Tokyo are widely shared on social media. This facility can be called a pioneer of immersive experiences in Japan, and the space where light, sound, and digital art fuse has become popular as a place where you can have a special experience, as if you have stepped into another world.
An experience that makes you "want to take a picture spontaneously" matches the consumer psychology of the social media era perfectly. And by that post spreading, it brings significant effects to companies and facilities as well. By providing a special experience, it spreads on social media, that spread attracts new visitors, and a virtuous cycle is created where the buzz spreads even further.
Immersive experiences provide special "shareable" value to consumers and have become a powerful marketing tool for companies to capture new customer segments. It can be said that this background is also boosting the spread of immersive experiences.
The word "immersive" began to attract attention in the media and industry around 2022, and in 2023, the opening of "Immersive Fort Tokyo" approached, and it appeared in "2024 trend predictions," so the awareness of the word "immersive" itself increased.
As a result, I feel that the word "immersive" itself is being perceived as one of the trend words symbolizing new value and advanced experiences. There are cases where adding the word "immersive" to experiential content that has been provided so far attracts attention again, or new charms are re-evaluated.
Because it is titled "immersive," it gives an advanced image that you can have a newer experience, so there are cases where people dare to use this word or incorporate it into their plans, and I would like to pay attention to how "immersive experiences" will be developed in 2025.
Typical facilities for immersive experiences are "Immersive Fort Tokyo" and "Immersive Museum." I have summarized briefly below what kind of experiences you can have at each.
Immersive Fort Tokyo is the world's first immersive theme park, which opened in Odaiba, Tokyo, on March 1, 2024.
More than 10 attractions providing immersive experiences based on "theater," which is so-called "immersive theater," are developed, where visitors can enter the story of the attraction and experience the story as the protagonist. Unlike conventional shows where you just watch as an audience member, the visitors themselves become part of the story and advance the story together with the actors. Also, it is attractive that everyone can have their own experience each time, rather than everyone having a uniform experience, such as the ending changing depending on your own actions.
Reference: https://immersivefort.com/index.html
Immersive Museum is a facility that provides an immersive art experience, unlike conventional art museums. From July 10, 2024 (Wed) to October 29, 2024 (Tue), "Immersive Museum TOKYO vol. 3 Impressionism and Ukiyo-e ~Gogh and Hokusai, Monet and Hiroshige~" was held, providing a special art world where you can use large-scale video projection technology to have an experience like entering a masterpiece, or paintings start to move. It has attracted many visitors from children to adults, and it is stated on the official Instagram account of the Immersive Museum that the total number of visitors has exceeded 700,000. (As of November 2024)
Reference: https://immersive-museum.jp/
So far, I have introduced the basics of immersive experiences, the background of the trend, and popular facilities. From here, I would like to focus on how companies are actually carrying out projects that incorporate "immersive experiences."
When people hear the word immersive experience, they tend to think of entertainment, but projects using "immersive" or "immersive type" experiences as keywords are being implemented in various categories. I will list examples in four categories: pop-up, EC, real store, and event. First, let's look at pop-ups.
Pop-up Case Study
Asahi Breweries, Ltd. opened a limited-time immersive concept shop for beer from April to September 2024, with the theme of "Immerse yourself in the world of 'Super Dry'." This pop-up, where you can have an immersive experience such as the "Super Dry Go Ride," which allows you to feel the speed and power of production with your five senses as if you were riding on a can during production, gained popularity and attracted over 10,000 visitors in about one month from its opening, exceeding 30% of the target of 30,000 people.
EC Site Case Study
The cosmetics brand "KATE" of Kanebo Cosmetics Inc. released the immersive EC store "KATE ZONE" in January 2023, proposing an unprecedented purchasing experience. With all kinds of data related to makeup, real voices of users, and various technologies, it became a hot topic as an immersive EC store where you can encounter a new you by not only watching but also participating and experiencing yourself. "KATE SCAN," which tells you your face type out of 8 when you scan your face, and "FaceHack," which proposes cosmetics according to the face you want to be when you upload it, etc.,
there are many mechanisms where you can participate actively and enjoy it immersively, not just receiving information.
Event Case Study
Coca-Cola (Japan) Company, Limited developed the "Ayataka Unkai Immersive Tea Party" in May 2024 as part of its product renewal PR. It was an event that made a "sea of clouds," which can only be seen under limited conditions, appear on the rooftop of Tokyu Plaza Harajuku "Harakado" through smoke production, as if you could sample "Ayataka" in the middle of a real sea of clouds.
Event Case Study
The experience-based event "Rouge Shop in the Darkness" of the cosmetics brand "KISSME FERME" was held in March 2025. Through a rouge touch-up plan where you sharpen your senses in the dark and experience the "best application of your life," it proposed a new experience where you can concentrate on the feeling of applying rouge without relying on vision. With the theme of "Immersive! KISSME FERME," a makeup corner and photo spots were also set up to immerse you in the brand's world view.
Real Store Case Study
This is a case where immersive store creation was realized by the collaboration of "uralaa," which realizes immersive nature experiences, and "LIFETREE," which provides aroma. Under the new concept of "Travel and Shopping," an immersive experience space that provides healing scents x beautiful scenery was developed at the AEON MALL Toki store. Along with the scent of aroma produced by LIFETREE, beautiful forest and nature scenery from all over Japan, covering over 100 scenes, are screened, allowing you to experience the world view of the brand.
Thus, various companies are conducting initiatives that incorporate immersive experiences. The benefits that immersive experiences bring to companies include the following:
■Improvement of brand value
Immersive experiences have the effect of increasing brand value by providing consumers with a special time. As a result, it leads to an improvement in brand loyalty.
■Acquisition of new customers and promotion of repeat visits
By providing a special experience, you can attract the interest of new customers and reach new customer segments through social media sharing, etc. Also, once a customer has had an immersive experience, they feel they want to taste that special sensation again, so a repeat promotion effect can also be expected.
While various immersive experiences are becoming possible due to the evolution of technology, new initiatives that meet consumer needs are highly expected not only in entertainment but also in corporate marketing activities.
Finally, let's review the characteristics of immersive experiences once again.
[Characteristics of Immersive Experiences]
Sense of entering another world: In an immersive experience, you can go beyond the boundaries of reality and feel as if you have completely entered a different world. It is appealing because participants become involved parties and can experience it as part of that space or story.
Stimulating multiple senses: It is content that achieves immersion by stimulating multiple senses, such as touch and smell, in addition to sight and sound.
Impact and memorability: Immersive experiences are characterized by high impact and strong compatibility with social media posts, as well as being easy for participants to remember for a long time.
When considering a project that incorporates an immersive experience, let's think about what kind of experience would be attractive to consumers based on these characteristics.
With a 48-year history, the marketing company BEEATS has supported many clients' events and promotions. We are committed to providing special brand experiences in every scene, including exhibitions, product events, and pop-ups.
To realize an immersive experience as introduced in this article, technology to enhance visual immersion is also necessary. BEEATS is expanding its global network, and by leveraging the network of the ShanYoung Group with which we have a business alliance, we can also handle high-quality, large-scale LED visions that are optimal for immersive experiences.
By combining our accumulated promotional knowledge with cutting-edge technology, we provide total support for the planning and operation of events and spaces that incorporate immersive experiences. Let's create special brand experiences and new possibilities for connecting brands with customers together.
Why don't you try to shape a "new experience" together with BEEATS? If you are a corporate person in charge considering the possibilities of a new brand experience, or if you are interested in the use of LED visions, etc., please feel free to consult with us.
Q1. What is an immersive experience?
A1. An immersive experience is an "immersive" type of experience where participants deeply enter into content or a space and feel as if they have become a part of it. The biggest feature is that it does not just involve being a spectator, but allows you to participate as an involved party in the story or experience, fully utilizing all five senses.
Q2. Why are immersive experiences attracting attention now?
A2. There are mainly three reasons why immersive experiences are attracting attention. The first is the change in consumer behavior, shifting from "things to experiences" and valuing experiential value; the second is the evolution of technology that supports immersion, such as VR and AR; and the third is their high compatibility with social media, being easy to record in photos and videos and spread.
Q3. What are the benefits for companies incorporating immersive experiences into their promotions?
A3. The benefit for companies incorporating immersive experiences is that they can improve brand value by providing consumers with a special time. Additionally, not only does it lead to the acquisition of new customers through social media sharing, but a repeat promotion effect can also be expected due to the psychology of wanting to taste that special sensation again.
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