For the 2023 NFL season, Snapchat and the Los Angeles Rams debuted an in-stadium augmented reality experience in SoFi Stadium sponsored by Princess Cruises. The experience premiered during the LA Rams home game against the San Francisco 49ers on Sept. 17.
Powered by visual experience platform disguise, the AR activation will play on the SoFi Stadium Infinity Screen during all Rams home games this season. The activation digitally transforms the football field into the Pacific Ocean and shows three virtual Rams players competing in a 3D surfboard race.
Disguise’s creative and technical services division, Meptik, created the activation’s AR visuals in Snap’s Lens Studio and integrated them with the Infinity Screen and the stadium’s cameras.
The experience runs for roughly one minute and allows attendees to enter to win a seven-day cruise from Princess Cruises.
According to Snapchat, the SoFi Stadium Infinity Screen is the largest videoboard ever created in the world of sports, and features 70,000 square feet of digital LED.
“As the Rams Official Cruise Vacation Partner, we’re thrilled to be part of this amazing in-game augmented reality experience that virtually recreates the excitement of a Princess Cruise at SoFi Stadium,” said John Padgett, president of Princess Cruises. “Princess is known for being on the cutting edge of cruise technology and this fun and engaging game takes the in-stadium experience to another level.”
This isn’t the Rams’ first foray into the world of augmented reality. In 2020, the Rams were the first NFL team to create a Snapchat AR experience that allowed fans to virtually try on the team’s new uniform. The Rams have also used Snap’s Camera Kit technology to bring AR experiences to fans in SoFi Stadium.
“Over the years, Snap and the LA Rams have pushed the envelope of AR in sports to bring truly innovative experiences to fans,” said Konstantinos Papamiltiadis, vp of platform partnerships at Snap, Inc.
In addition to this AR activation from Princess Cruises, Snap and the Rams have introduced three additional AR Lenses fans can experience through the Infinity Screen during home games this season.
The SoFi “Take It To the Bank” Lens challenges fans to wave their arms to collect virtual tokens that appear on the Infinity Screen for a chance to win a Rams VIP gameday experience, while a Lens from American Airlines brings a virtual blimp into the stadium and gives attendees a chance to win airline miles. Finally, the Rams worked with Snapchat to create a Lens that shows a virtual version of the Rams mascot, Rampage, dancing on the field with the real-world mascot. This mascot Lens will also be available in the Snapchat app for people inside SoFi Stadium during game days.