Station F, the world’s largest startup campus and home to 1,000 startups, is home to Snap’s AR studio. (Photo by Melanie Hogue/Special to Cronkite News)
PARIS – With over 15 augmented reality experiences developed, this year’s Summer Olympics will incorporate AR like never before.
The IOC and the Paris 2024 Organising Committee have entered into a series of digital partnerships to bring AR to the Olympic Games. From the world’s first AR vending machine to Olympic-themed filters and lenses, each AR experience offers users a new way to engage with this year’s Games.
From its invention by Harvard computer scientist Ivan Sutherland in 1968 to the launch of Pokémon Go in 2016, AR has entered the mainstream. Since then, AR, known for its digital overlays on the real world, has found applications in various industries, including healthcare and entertainment.
Sports are no exception. While interactive graphics such as swimlane overlays have become commonplace in sports broadcasts, AR is reaching a new milestone with its entry onto the Olympic stage.
“I think we’re at a tipping point with AR,” said Donatien Bozon, head of Snap’s AR studio. “People are going to start thinking more and more about it as a serious and very useful technology that can do a lot of great things, and not just about fun filters.”
Through collaboration with Coca-Cola, Meta and Snap Inc., this year’s games will feature a range of innovative AR experiences.
On the non-commercial side, Snap’s AR Studio worked as part of a technical collaboration with the IOC and the Paris 2024 Organizing Committee to create two key AR experiences for the Games.
The studio, which consists of a 12-person team of creatives, developers and designers, focuses on non-commercial AR experiences around culture, education and the arts. Their goal is to change how people perceive AR. Donatien Bozon, the head of Snap’s AR studio, knows more work is needed to educate those who are unfamiliar with it or who see it through a limited lens, and his team is up to the task.
Snap’s AR Studio worked with the IOC to create a lens celebrating the 100th anniversary of the last Olympic Games in Paris. For users locally, it transforms the city around them, while transporting users globally to Paris in 1924. In addition, Snap’s AR Studio played a role in bringing the official Olympic poster to life.
Designed by 35-year-old French artist Ugo Gattoni, the poster aims to capture the spirit of the Games as a diptych, a work of art made up of two parts that form a single image. The Olympic poster on the left and the Paralympics poster on the right can be viewed individually or together to create a complete picture. For the first time in history, this year’s Olympic poster also features an official AR experience.
Snaps AR Studio helped create the official Olympic poster by French artist Ugo Gattoni. (Photo courtesy of Olympics.com)
Gattoni explained how the idea came about. Since Gattoni enjoys animating his own artwork, he was on board when Snap first suggested bringing his work to life using AR.
The idea behind the AR experience, however, was the result of a happy coincidence. Around Christmas time, Gattoni was working alone in his studio and was coloring in his drawings when he made a mistake and created a negative image that resembled a night scene. Gattoni laughs as he admits that a sleepless mistake gave birth to a historic idea.
This concept was intended to be the official AR version of the Olympic poster.
In the night version, the scene comes to life and features additional elements such as fireworks and stars reflected in the water. For Gattoni, who aims to create immersive experiences in his own traditional works, AR offers the opportunity to take that invitation even further.
“I see my own drawings and my work as an invitation to immerse yourself in my world, to walk through this surrealist world,” said Gattoni. “Thanks to this Snapchat project and the immersive work, we are pushing this invitation to immerse yourself in this drawing a little further, so it was a great opportunity.”
To further explore these AR experiences, fans have several ways to get involved. They can visit the AR section of the official Paris 2024 Olympic Games app, check out the IOC’s official Snapchat handle, or participate live on the big screen at the competition venues.
Incorporating AR into Paris 2024 has the potential to transform the Olympic experience and transform future sporting events. Nonny de la Peña, founder of the Emblematic Group and founding director of Arizona State University’s new Narrative and Emerging Media program, agrees.
“The Olympics are usually an early adopter of new technologies. They showcase who we are and celebrate what we can be,” said de la Peña. “And I think the Olympics’ decision to use these new technologies really underscores how far AR has come and that people are really going to use augmented reality all the time in their everyday lives.”
While audiences may be focused on the world-class athletes at this year’s Games, it’s not too late to witness how AR has emerged as a major player at Paris 2024.
“People from all parts of the world, of all ages and backgrounds will come together to celebrate community, inspiration and joy,” Leandro Larrosa, IOC Director of Digital Engagement and Marketing, told Olympics.com. “We want to bring that spirit to life and delight fans everywhere through diverse fun and exciting digital experiences.”
