EE opened the doors to its EE 5G Superstore near Wembley Stadium last week, allowing fans to use augmented reality (AR) experiences to purchase England matchday sportswear, it announced last week.
The world-first shopping experience allowed customers to tour the facility with a virtual avatar of star England and Liverpool FC athlete, Trent Alexander-Arnold.
Checkout the behind the scenes content from when @EE turned @TrentAA into an AR avatar for the EE 5G Superstore!
If you are heading to Wembley today, head to Turnstile D to experience the future of retail, brought to you by @EE‘s 5G network 🙌 pic.twitter.com/QvPsrUPhcu
— Wembley Stadium (@wembleystadium) March 26, 2022
EE’s 5G networks will allow footie fans to explore the facility and view merchandise before buying, using AR-powered smartphones. People can scan markers placed in the store to view products, with Trent Alexander-Arnold’s avatar guiding and introducing customers to parts of the store.
Following their visit, shoppers also took selfies with Alexander-Arnold’s avatar ahead of the matches with Switzerland and Ivory Coast last Saturday and Tuesday, respectively.
EE, a longstanding provider of 5G for Wembley Stadium, stated it donated proceeds from sales to the Alzheimer’s Society, the official charity of the England vs Switzerland match on the 26th March.
According to the footballer, using volumetric video to scan his body and create a 5G avatar was “like something from a sci-fi film.”
He said ahead of the matches,
“It was a really cool experience, and the final result looks great! I loved being turned into an avatar and seeing first-hand how augmented reality can create new experiences for fans, and I can’t wait to see it brought to life by EE 5G ahead of the Switzerland and Ivory Coast friendlies”
Pete Jeavons, Marketing Communications Director for EE, added the Superstore was an exciting new retail experience that offered a “glimpse into the future of retail.”
He explained further, adding,
“The possibilities 5G technology offers are endless and what better way to drive this forward than by working with our long-standing partners at the FA and Wembley Stadium to give England fans the chance to buy their kit in a new and innovative way”
The news comes after EE facilitated the Green Planet AR Experience in Central London, inspired by Sir David Attenborough’s popular BBC series, to teach audiences about biodiversity.
The exhibit combined real-time 3D (RT3D) content with 5G and AR technologies to transport visitors to some of the world’s most exotic environments to learn about the world’s ecosystems, with Attenborough guiding attendees across the numerous biomes.
XR Today interviewed Factory 42’s John Cassy, Stephen Stewart, and Jamie Davies in March to discuss how the award-winning XR studio developed the exhibit using EE’s leading 5G networks.
