LONDON — Xydrobe plans to transport viewers to a parallel world with the opening a state-of-the-art, multisensory virtual reality cinema at Harrods.
The cinema, which is set to open in June, will offer a diverse program of immersive experiences from a series of luxury brands. Harrods is the first international retailer to host the immersive experience in-store.
To be located on the fifth floor of the Knightsbridge store, the “xydrobe VR Cinema” will offer viewers a series of 4D brand experiences meant to engage all the senses. The brand experiences will change each month.
The cinema can seat up to 20 guests at a time and plans to use the highest-grade VR headsets to conjure tactile sensations of wind, temperature, immersive surround sound and a variety of scents, the company said.
The cinema space was designed by Sybarite, the London architectural firm and a longtime partner of Xydrobe.
Guests can book a time slot for the Harrods experience through the Xydrobe website and there will be a selection of tickets available on the day through the cinema reception on the fifth floor.
Xydrobe’s cofounders Nell Lloyd-Malcolm, Isabella Gallucci and Michael Pegrum said the Harrods cinema is the company’s most ambitious retail project to date.
In an email interview, Lloyd-Malcolm described immersive 360-degree content as “the next frontier of media” and said the aim is to further immerse luxury customers in the universe of a brand.
“We hope to not only drive sales, but create deeper, more meaningful connections with our brands’ customers,” she added.
Xydrobe also plans to examine the data around viewers who take part in the cinema experience, and look at whether they go on to make purchases from a given brand. “We can’t wait to share what we find,” Lloyd-Malcolm said.
As reported, Xydrobe has produced visual effects content and immersive virtual reality experiences for brands including JW Anderson, Manolo Blahnik, Givenchy and, most recently, Dr. Barbara Sturm.
The Harrods project follows the opening of the Xydrobe Mayfair flagship on Carlos Place last October.
The Mayfair site offers luxury brands the chance to take over and activate VR experiences using one-person “xydrobe Pods.”
Lloyd-Malcolm said “it was clear there was appetite to bring the experience to the luxury retail market on a grand scale.” She added that the natural next step was a cinematic experience for groups of people.
The plan is to partner with other luxury retailers going forward. “We’re looking at each key territory to establish a selection of top-tier location partners across retail, entertainment, sport, events and hospitality,” Lloyd-Malcolm said.
Eventually, Xydrobe wants to build a platform that will provide brands access to its 4D cinema network in various regions.