The Ritual Of Sakura

Arcade partnered with leading experiential agency Backlash to create an immersive pop-up experience for beauty brand Rituals in London’s Covent Garden.

We were asked to design a WebAR experience that ‘Celebrates New Beginnings’, immersing visitors into the world of the new ‘The Ritual of Sakura’ skincare range through a celebration of the Japanese Sakura blossom.

The experience incorporated a series of scannable markers that triggered different AR experiences, all to a soothing ambient oriental soundtrack.

After catching falling blossoms, discovering sakura-inspired poems, capturing selfies against the scenic backdrop, exploring the Rituals of Sakura range and finally playing a blossom mini-game, visitors end by following the Rituals Instagram account and being rewarded with a brand goody bag for taking part.

Over 1000 visitors to the pop-up enjoyed the experience over the three days it ran and engaged with a smaller version across five stores local to the area.

Penny Grivea, Managing Director of Rituals UK & Ireland, said, “We want to help people improve their wellbeing and focus on harmonising their body, mind, and soul. Our immersive experience celebrates the notion of new beginnings, and Springtime is the perfect opportunity to re-prioritize ourselves, reset our routines and look ahead positively towards the next bright chapter.”