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Case study · White label, July - December 2024

In-store VR demonstrators, UK and Ireland

After a summer of demos at The O2 and in London stores, we worked 2,750+ shifts in 59 stores to launch a new headset with Batman: Arkham Shadow.

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Client
A global tech brand
Where
The O2, and 59 Currys, John Lewis, Smyths and Argos stores
When
July - December 2024
Shifts
2,750+ in store

Services delivered

  • In-store brand ambassadors
  • Launch teams
  • Assisted selling
  • Costume character
  • Retailer training
  • Rota management
  • Reporting

01The brief

A global tech brand wanted people to try its VR headsets before buying. After a summer of demos, a new headset launched on 15 October 2024 with Batman: Arkham Shadow. This was white-label work, so the brand isn’t named.

02What we did

It grew from one London game room to a launch across the UK and Ireland.

Every ambassador was trained on the headsets before their first shift, and we reported every night.

  1. 13 - 14 July · Tottenham Court Road

    O2 store opening

    We ran demos for the opening weekend of a new O2 store, and reported customer sentiment and footfall each night.

  2. 23 July - 22 August · The O2

    Summer game room

    We ran a VR rhythm game room in the gaming lounge for 31 days, with 1,689 interactions and 1,092 demos.

  3. August - October · London

    Summer in store

    We ran weekend demos in John Lewis Oxford Street and White City, Currys Staples Corner and Brentford, and EE Studios at Westfield London.

  4. Sat 14 September · Islington

    London Freshers Fair

    We ran VR demos with Batman: Arkham Shadow on our stand at the Business Design Centre, a month before launch.

  5. 15 October - December · UK and Ireland

    The launch

    The new headset launched with Batman: Arkham Shadow, and we worked 2,750+ shifts in 59 Currys, John Lewis, Smyths and Argos stores, from Edinburgh and Newcastle to Belfast, Cardiff and Southampton.

  6. 26 November - 1 December · The O2

    Batman at The O2

    Batman in costume joined our demonstrator in the gaming lounge for six days, with 152 engagements and 118 demos.

  7. Throughout · UK and Ireland

    Train the trainer

    Our trainers trained in-store staff, backed by weekly quizzes, training calls, field managers in stores and training days in Birmingham and central UK locations.

  8. Throughout · UK and Ireland

    Kit and swag

    We managed demo kit and swag for every store, from launch day to Christmas.

  • 2,750+in-store shifts
  • 59stores in five nations
  • 1,800+interactions at The O2
  • 1,200+demos at The O2

03The result

From launch day to Christmas our team of 50+ ambassadors covered more than 2,750 shifts in 59 stores across 43 towns and cities, measured on demos per hour, sales, accessory attach rate and revenue.

We ran it as a national programme, with train-the-trainer sessions, training for in-store staff, weekly quizzes and training calls, field managers and trainers in stores, training days in Birmingham and central UK locations, and kit management throughout. Rotas ran in LiveForce, ambassadors logged every shift in a field app with photos, and we reported results every week.

“I felt like Batman!!”

A visitor at The O2, from our nightly report
A woman in a VR headset during an in-store demo with a brand ambassador

The launch took 2,750+ shifts in 59 stores.

A VR demonstrator showing a customer a headset in store
In storeDemonstrator and customer
A customer holding a new VR headset after a demo with an in-store brand ambassador
In storeSold on the shop floor
A smiling customer with a new VR headset after an in-store demo
In storeLaunch to Christmas
A customer trying a VR headset in the O2 store while a friend watches
O2 storeHands-on demos
Two customers trying VR headsets with demonstrators in the O2 store
O2 storeFirst time in a headset
A customer trying a VR headset and controllers with an in-store demonstrator
In storeHeadset and controllers
Brand ambassadors in hands-on VR headset training in Birmingham before launch
BirminghamTraining day, three days before launch
A visitor in a VR headset playing Batman: Arkham Shadow at the Gamepad at The O2
The O2Gamepad, Batman launch
A student trying a VR headset with a brand ambassador at London Freshers Fair
IslingtonLondon Freshers Fair, with Batman: Arkham Shadow demos

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On this job: in-store demonstrators, Play Retail Academy and brand ambassador agency.

Let’s talk.

If you’re planning something similar, we’d love to hear about it.

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