A retail AR gut-punch for WWF’s Siberian tiger
This is a great piece of Augmented Reality for WWF aimed at raising awareness around the plight of the siberian tiger, created by Leo Burnett Moscow.
WWF printed thousands of tiger t-shirts and distributed them online and to key stores in Moscow featuring specially placed AR video mirrors that would instantly activate the AR experience the moment a tiger t-shirt was detected. And at that moment, the experience became quite graphical to anyone wearing the t-shirt, complete with bullet wounds, huge amounts of blood and sound effects to match it.
How the “video mirror” mechanic does the heavy lifting
The setup is simple. Put the message on the body. Put the trigger in the store. Put the reveal in a mirror people already trust as “truth”.
An AR video mirror is a camera plus screen installation that shows your live reflection while overlaying digital effects in real time. In this case, the mirror detects the tiger shirt and then renders the simulated injuries and audio as if they are happening to you.
In retail environments and public spaces, AR activations work best when the interaction is instant, unmistakable, and socially visible to bystanders.
Why the experience lands so hard
It converts an abstract cause into a first-person moment. You do not just look at an endangered animal. You temporarily “become” the target.
The shock is not only the gore. It is the sudden loss of control. You step into a normal shopping routine and the story hijacks your reflection before you can rationalize it away.
The intent behind making it graphic
The creative choice forces attention and memory. A polite AR overlay would be easy to ignore. A visceral one is harder to dismiss and more likely to be retold, especially when friends are watching from behind you.
What to steal for your next experience design
- Use a frictionless trigger. Detection happens automatically. No app download. No QR hunt. No instructions.
- Choose a culturally “trusted” surface. Mirrors feel like evidence, which makes overlays feel more real than a phone screen effect.
- Make the message social. The bystander view matters. People react together, and that reaction becomes the spread mechanism.
- Design the reveal as a single sentence. “This is what it feels like to be hunted.” If the concept cannot be repeated instantly, it will not travel.
A few fast answers before you act
What is the core idea of the WWF tiger t-shirt AR campaign?
It uses an AR video mirror to detect a tiger t-shirt and instantly overlay a graphic “poaching” simulation on the wearer, turning awareness into a first-person experience.
Why use an AR mirror instead of a mobile AR app?
The mirror removes friction and makes the moment public. Everyone nearby sees the same reveal at the same time, which increases impact and sharing.
What makes this activation effective as cause marketing?
It translates a distant problem into a personal reaction. The wearer feels shock and vulnerability, and that emotional spike improves recall and conversation.
What are the key components if you want to replicate the mechanism?
You need a clear trigger (the shirt), a camera plus screen “mirror” setup, real-time overlay rendering, and a reveal that communicates the message in seconds.
What is the main risk with shock-based AR experiences?
If the graphic content overwhelms the cause, people remember only the stunt. The message has to be explicit enough that the emotional reaction points to the intended story.
