BBC's pop-up AR selfie booth shows visitors their wild side

BBC Studios has unveiled an interactive, AR-powered photo booth pop-up to promote the BBC Earth Experience.

BBC Earth Experience – an immersive event featuring the projection of high-definition nature footage and narration from David Attenborough – was launched on 31 March at the Daikin Centre in London’s Earl’s Court.

Produced by independent agency Undercurrent, the photo booth offers four AR animal masks (of a polar bear, a musk ox, a puma and an elephant) that people can digitally “try on” and use to take a selfie. The masks will be mapped to visitors’ faces and react in time with their moves and gestures.

Each AR mask has been created in a geometric style, inspired by the natural history merchandise offered at the BBC Earth Experience gift shop.

Stephen Davies, managing director of consumer products and licensing at BBC Studios, said: “By creating this interactive pop-up, we wanted to give members of the public an opportunity to learn more about London’s newest attraction and have fun while using our bespoke AR filters”.

The photo booth was built using sustainable materials and, according to BBC Studios, “every environmental aspect of the activation was considered” when creating the campaign. Reclaimed birch plywood panels were used to build the pop-up’s main internal structure, while non-toxic, compostable paint was used to give the stand its colour.

Damian Clarke, chief executive of Undercurrent, said: “The team relished the chance to deliver a sustainable build and throughout the process we learned new skills and discovered new materials that we’ll continue to work with in future. Ensuring that we’re building an asset with maximum re-use in mind, but also delivering something that is biodegradable at the end of its lifespan.”

Starting this week and running until January 2024, the photo booth can be accessed at the BBC Earth Experience’s main location. People can also try out its features at King’s Cross Station on 15 July and the Reading Oracle from 22 to 23 July.

After trying the experience, visitors will receive a special GIF in their inbox to share on social media. Each participant will also be entered into a prize draw to win a free ticket or a 20% discount code for the BBC Earth Experience.