“I loved how augmented reality brought spacecraft into the room with me. I could see up close how they defined an era of space exploration.” —juror Libby Bawcombe
“This whole project is amazing. The application, the website, the concept, the branding—everything is perfectly designed to underline this important moment of humanity and allows a whole new generation to relive that moment.” —juror Guillaume Braun
Overview: Sixty-two percent of those alive today didn’t get a chance to experience the original Apollo 11 mission, so to celebrate its 50th anniversary, the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum wanted to introduce today’s generation to this pivotal moment in history as well as president Kennedy’s bold vision for the space program. Ad agency Digitas and production company UNIT9 produced JFK Moonshot, an augumented reality (AR) re-creation of Apollo 11. Every moment, maneuver and milestone unfolds in real time, second by second.
JFK Moonshot tracks more than 100 hours of the Apollo 11 mission in real time with archival National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) footage.
Users can explore and launch an AR replica of the Saturn V rocket.
A launch party for JFK Moonshot was held at the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum with one of the largest AR objects ever created: a 363-foot-tall, full-scale replica of Saturn V.
Comments by Digitas:
Describe the purpose of the project and its target audience. “Our idea was to immerse a new generation— particularly Generation Z and younger millennials—into one of history’s greatest adventures by reimagining it for today. To extend the reach of the event, we held the first livestream of an AR experience on the popular gaming platform Twitch. We then leveraged some of Twitch’s most popular streamers—DrLupo, DasValdez and Seum—to provide a ‘play-through’ of the action, a modern version of Walter Cronkite’s commentary from 50 years ago.”
What was the response? “At precisely 9:32 a.m. on July 16, 2019, the Saturn V rocket launched once again. Only this time, instead of watching it with binoculars and Super 8 cameras, thousands used their mobile phones and tablets to witness history in the making. And for those around the world not in attendance at the library, JFK Moonshot enabled kids of all ages to launch their own virtual rockets anywhere and share it on social media. For the next four days, users of the app could track the mission in augmented reality as events unfolded. We continued streaming the mission on Twitch nonstop, where streamer BanzaiBaby reenacted and simulcasted moments from the mission.”
Describe any special interactive features. “Educational prompts would pop up throughout the tracking sequence for more than 100 hours of rare, archival John F. Kennedy (JFK) and NASA footage. Viewers could even practice their own moon landings with interactive AR games that simulated actual NASA astronaut tests while also testing their JFK knowledge with JFK-related trivia questions.”
