MKX EXPERIENCE
Gravity Jack was approached by Ford Motor Company’s agency of record to create a mobile experience for consumers living in Asia to view the all-new MKX luxury SUV in a completely new and engaging way. To do this, Gravity Jack developed a mobile application featuring an augmented reality experience where users scanned a custom MKX-themed AR marker. Once scanned, a life-sized version of the SUV appeared before their very eyes! With a new MKX parked in their driveway, app users are encouraged to snap photos alongside the SUV and share it on social media — making friends and family wonder when they got a new vehicle.
Wanting to showcase all that the MKX has to offer, the app also allows users to explore the interior of the vehicle. To make this happen, Gravity Jack customized a high definition, 360º, 3D photosphere of the MKX interior. Creating this photosphere gave users a first-person point of view of what it would be like to sit in the driver’s seat of the MKX. As users move their phone, the app would intuitively follow the movements as if they were sitting in the vehicle. This allowed users to explore the leather seats, sun roof, driver controls, and more! In addition to exploring the MKX and all of its features, users could request a test drive directly from the app. With the delivery of the Lincoln MKX App, the Ford Motor Company had a dynamic marketing tool that allowed their customers to learn about and explore all of the new features of the SUV in a futuristic way.
Client
- Ford Motor Company
- GTB
Platforms
- iOS App Development
- Android App Development
SERVICES
Augmented Reality
Place digital experience within a real-world environment
Mobile App
Deliver dynamic content to customers in new and exciting ways
3D Development
Realistic 3D artwork that can be viewed from any angle
360º Photosphere
Immersive scene that can viewed from any angle
Object Detection
Ability to scan and recognize any real-world object
Localization
Provide specific information based on the user’s location
PROJECT DEVELOPMENT
For this project, Gravity Jack worked closely with the client to develop a series of custom experiences that showcase the MKX vehicle. The first was a marker-based AR experience where users scanned a marker that could be printed at home from within the app. When scanned a life-size, realistic model of the MKX which was developed by the Gravity Jack 3D team appeared within the user’s environment. Within the AR space users could lock the model in place and explore the exterior of the MKX from all angles. Additionally, the app’s development included the ability to capture a screenshot of the vehicle and share the photos via text, social media, and more. Including this feature encouraged users to pose alongside the vehicle — giving the impression that they are right next to an actual MKX.
The second experience for the app allowed users to explore the interior of the vehicle. To give users a unique perspective of the MKX’s interior features, Gravity Jack recreated the entire interior in 3D. From there, they stitched all of the 3D scenes together into an immersive 360º photosphere where users can move their phone in any direction to explore all of the details large and small of the vehicle. This experience was a first-person view of sitting in the driver’s seat of the SUV and featured AR technology so that anywhere in the vehicle there were windows the user saw their current surroundings.
The primary focus for this app was customers living in Asia. To accommodate this request, Gravity Jack developed the app natively for Mandarin. From there, they then translated the app’s language back to English so that the app could also be released in the United States.
THE GRAVITY JACK PROCESS
Gravity Jack worked directly with the client’s agency of record located in Asia. Being no stranger to having global clients, Gravity Jack was prepared and equipped to host project related meetings that accommodated the large time difference. Throughout the project’s entirety, Gravity Jack was able to deliver the following to the client at each dedicated milestone.
USER STORIES
Puts us in the shoes of a potential user to make informed decisions about the functionality and flow of the project.
WIREFRAMES
The blueprints of a project that put the design and development teams on the same page prior the development
UI/UX DESIGN
Integrating branding, style guides, and more to give the project cohesive look and feel
DEVELOPMENT
Development begins with the architecture of the project with integration tests help verify that all software is written based on the project requirements
QUALITY ASSURANCE
A test plan is created where the project is tested at each development milestone and again multiple times upon competition to ensure a seamless experience
LAUNCH
Working alongside the client, a process is established to launch the project based on the intended audience. The code is then packaged up and provided to the client!
LANDSCAPE MOBILE DESIGNS
To ensure that users could fit the life-size MKX on their device’s screen, Gravity Jack designed and developed the ability to view AR content in landscape mode.
Mobile
Complimentary mobile designs that are compatible with numerous mobile devices and browsers
FINAL DELIVERY
Ford Motor Company was equipped with a dynamic marketing tool featuring augmented reality that allowed their customers to learn about and explore all of the new features of the SUV in a futuristic way.
The Goal
Bring attention to the release of the new MKX SUV by providing an experience that entertains customers while also educating them about the vehicle’s features.
Gravity Jack’s Solution
Place an actual MKX in their driveway! Pairing augmented reality technology with highly realistic 3D models will give users incredible insight into MKX’s exterior and interior features.
The Result
A creative marketing tool in the form of an iOS and Android mobile app which not only felt like owning an MKX, but encouraged customers to sign up for a test drive.
