Focus on Immersive

Inset: The Jumanjithemed land will be the single largest investment in the history of Chessington World of Adventures Resort.

From Tomb Raider to Doctor Who, Stranger Things to Monopoly, immersive experiences are another way for brand owners to extend IP and also engage with existing audiences. And, as LSB discovers, the industry is only just scratching the surface of what immersive experiences could be and how they develop.

Experience economy

The importance and value that people put on shared experiences has arguably never been greater.

For brands, this has led to a host of opportunities and immersive experiences are fast becoming a major part of a 360-degree licensing programme.

“The brand owners we are working with are all looking for new ways to extend their IP and engage with their existing audiences,” says David Hutchinson, ceo of the Path Entertainment Group, which has partnered with Hasbro and Lionsgate to bring immersive attractions to the locationbased entertainment space. “We are only scratching the surface of what immersive experiences could be and how they develop. We see guests are eager to engage, and it’s about understanding what the next trend in the industry is and making sure you can deliver on that.”

The company’s work with Hasbro saw the launch last year of Monopoly Lifesized, an 80minute experience in the heart of London.

David explains: “Given our experience in the theatre world, we realised we could offer something unique and find a great way to engage with audiences. As fans of escape rooms, puzzles and gaming, our producers developed a core concept that tackled the three biggest challenges we faced - how to ensure every player had something to do at all times; how to ensure a game didn't go on for three weeks; and how to make sure any game that covered those points still felt like (and was recognisable as) a game of Monopoly to our audiences. We used that

Jumanji comes to Chessington

The world’s first Jumanji-themed land is bringing the Sony Pictures’ box office hit film franchise to Chessington World of Adventures Resort in spring 2023.

The £17 million development marks the world’s first themed land for the box office hit film franchise and the single largest investment in the history of the UK resort.

A first look at some of the proposed designs shows an entrance portal which is shrouded in the ominous and overgrown Jumanji jungle that dominates the development, creating an immersive starting point for guests as they prepare to take on a whole host of challenges.

The news follows a multi-territory exclusivity agreement between the Resort operator, Merlin Entertainments, and Columbia Pictures Location Based Entertainment, which was announced earlier this year.

Jeffrey Godsick, evp global partnerships and brand management and head of location-based entertainment at Sony Pictures Entertainment, comments: “After being entertained by the films for so many years, fans now have the chance to experience Jumanji in a whole new dimension and we are thrilled to be going on this exciting adventure with the creative team at Chessington as Jumanji further expands with its very own themed land.”

Inset: As well as a new story developed with the series creators, Stranger Things: The Experience features a retail hub and photo-op moments. Below centre: SAW will be a multi-room escape experience based on the eponymous film franchise. Below: Path Entertainment Group created four unique life-sized Monopoly boards with actors playing hosts/game pieces.

concept to create four unique Lifesized Monopoly boards with actors acting as hosts/game pieces.”

The company is also now working with Lionsgate on SAW The Experience, a multi-room escape experience based on the eponymous film franchise, launching in October. “We have pushed and merged the boundaries between a traditional escape room and a more narratively driven immersive experience,” David continues.

Meanwhile, over at Troubadour Brent Cross Studios in north west London, Netflix is working with experience discovery platform Fever on Stranger Things: The Experience.

The experience had already seen record demand for tickets in New York and San Francisco, and it takes fans through a new story developed with the series creators, featuring some of the show’s most memorable settings and characters. Afterwards, guests can explore Mix-Tape, a F&B and retail hub filled with photo-op moments.

“We know our Stranger Things fans will embrace the chance to be the heroes of the story, working alongside Eleven, Mike and the rest of the gang to fight the evil threatening to consume Hawkins,” says Greg Lombardo, head of experiences at Netflix. “Fans love losing themselves in the world when they watch the show. Now, for the first time, they will be able to live out an episode from the series in real life.” London’s Camden has been the site of a number of experiences this year. This includes a Tomb Raider Live Experience, thanks to Paramount’s location-based experiences team, plus Peaky Blinders – The Rise courtesy of Immersive Everywhere.

So, what does a good licensed immersive experience need to have? David offers: “It’s all in the title, guests need to feel immersed in the story you are telling them. Especially when working with a brand or an IP, there are certain expectations and ways guests and fanbases intend to connect with that property. Making sure that the experience feels like an extension of a licence isn’t enough; ticket buyers need to feel like they are really going through that journey and there is so much for them to explore.” This is just the beginning for immersive experiences, and there is definitely an excitement around them in the licensing industry.

David concludes: “We offer an escapism across our locations, to enjoy your favourite brands differently. As the high streets start to recover post Covid, it’s never been more important than now for arts and leisure to play their role in giving people a reason to come back to our high streets.”