Behind the Olympic AR Lens that Champions Hijab Rights
To address the hijab ban at the Paris 2024 Olympics, UAE activewear Lara Active, has partnered with creative agency Tactical to launch a new Augmented Reality activation. The innovative AR lens reimagines Marianne, the iconic symbol of French liberty and the Paris 2024 Games, by replacing her traditional Phrygian cap with a hijab. Unveiled at Place de la République in Paris, the digital initiative aims to highlight the cultural significance of the hijab and promote the message of freedom of expression.
The AR lens not only transforms Marianne but also allows users to see themselves wearing a 'Phryjab,' blending the Phrygian cap and hijab, which they can then share on social media. This campaign advocates for women's rights to self-expression, leveraging the global platform of the Olympics to foster meaningful discussions on equality and freedom and highlighting the importance of allowing women to participate in sports comfortably, regardless of their religious beliefs.
LBB’s Olivia Atkins speaks to Tactical’s CEO Mike Khouri to understand the creative process behind the campaign’s concept and the AR tech.
LBB> Can you describe the creative process behind the concept of replacing Marianne’s traditional Phrygian cap with a hijab? What inspired this particular visual representation?
Mike> The idea was sparked by ongoing controversy around hijabs in sports, an issue highlighted by the French government’s decision to ban the hijab during the Paris Olympics. We wanted to address this and the broader issues of secularism and freedom of expression experienced in countries like Russia, India, and Austria amongst others.
To drive awareness around this during the Olympics, we decided to use Marianne, France’s iconic symbol of liberty, equality, and fraternity. So we turned her Phrygian cap into a hijab, creating the "Phryjab" to link these two symbols of liberation and self-expression. This AR activation was our way of supporting hijab-wearing athletes and sparking a crucial conversation about their freedom of expression. Using Marianne to advocate for inclusivity and remind people that a commitment to liberty, equality, and fraternity includes everyone.
LBB> How did the technical team at Tactical develop the AR lens for this campaign? Were there any significant challenges faced during the development phase?
Mike> This was a global team effort that worked around the clock to design, develop and test the AR activation in time for launch. Conceptualised and designed in Dubai, we leveraged our team in Paris to support in profiling the 3D model of the Marianne statue at Place de la République, and roll out the activation on launch day.
In the run up to delivery, the Marianne statue was put under maintenance, with scaffolding obstructing our access. At one point things were very touch and go, but while this delayed production, maintenance was completed three days before launch, allowing the team to swoop in and complete the necessary statue scan just in time for the Olympics.
LBB> What role did user experience play in the design of the AR activation? How did you ensure that the interaction would be both engaging and impactful for users?
Mike> We put a lot of thought into making the experience impactful for users. There were two cool ways to interact with Marianne's statue. If you were lucky enough to be in Paris, you could scan a QR code in front of the actual statue to see her with the Phryjab in her real environment. For everyone else around the globe, we used a Luma AI scanner to digitally capture the statue, allowing people to bring this powerful message into their own spaces, no matter where they were.
In the lens’ selfie mode users were able to choose between wearing the Phryjab or not wearing it while displaying the campaign's message ‘I champion the hijab in sports’. This choice was purposeful; highlighting the importance of the right to choose how you express yourself. Overall, our goal was to make this an experience that both hijab wearers and allies alike could interact with to use their voices to help move us forward.
LBB> Can you explain the production steps involved in creating the AR lens? How did the collaboration between Lara Active and Tactical ensure the cultural significance and sensitivity of the hijab was maintained?
Mike> We started by creating a veil inspired by the Olympics mascot, based on Marianne’s red cap. Then, we scanned the statue and trained Machine Learning to recognise Marianne’s face, allowing us to create a digital replica of Marianne’s statue in Place De La République for the off-ground experience. The same veil used for the statue was also used for the user selfie experience.
Once the lenses were ready, we placed a QR code in front of the statue in Paris for people to scan and access the experience. As a designer of sports hijabs, Lara Active’s founder Lara Fawzy, had an essential hand in advising on the blend of Phrygian cap and hijab, ensuring the cultural details, fit, and drape were perfect. As well as coining the campaign’s call-to-action, “I champion the hijab in sports,” which really resonated with our audience.
Being an agency operating in the MENA region we were also familiar with the debate surrounding hijabs, which is why we made sure users could opt to see themselves with or without the Phryjab. Giving them the freedom to engage with the topic without forcing this form of expression on them.
LBB> How do you measure the success of an AR activation like this? What metrics or feedback have you received since the campaign's launch at the Paris 2024 Olympics?
Mike> Since launching alongside the Paris 2024 Olympics, the activation has already generated buzz, catching the attention of numerous PR and media outlets. But while press is an early key metric for us, the real measure of success will be seeing these discussions take off using our #SportAHijab hashtag as the lens usage continues to increase.
LBB> In terms of technology, what innovations or advancements were utilised to enhance the effectiveness of the AR lens and ensure it could be easily accessed and shared by users?
Mike> In order to create this experience we first sent our team to take a 3D scan of Marianne’s statue using the tool Luma AI to map her infrastructure. To ensure the lens was used sensitively and only on Marianne’s intended statue, we created a ‘custom landmarker’, to anchor the experience to her facade in Place de la République. This allowed people on the ground to scan a physical QR code to activate the lens view on their phones upon approaching. To make it possible for global users to also visualise Marianne in her Phryjab, we created an alternative version of the lens that places the entire statue in the user’s own environment.
LBB> What future possibilities do you see for using AR in campaigns that aim to address social issues? How can this technology continue to evolve to support causes like hijab rights in sports?
Mike> When it comes to campaigning for social issues, the goal is inevitably to drive awareness and mobilise people to act. The closer people feel to an issue, the more likely they are to champion it through word-of-mouth, social sharing and activism. What’s brilliant about AR is that it allows us to blend elements from physical and digital realities to bring these important messages to life in a truly interactive way.
Using technology like Snap's real-life physics, hand-tracking, and full-body garments, we can create virtual experiences that users can impact with their own movements and choices; enabling co-creation and making the experience feel personal to each user.
Ultimately AR fosters understanding and empathy by reducing the pressure of engaging with complex issues like these; allowing audiences to learn and engage with the topic in their own way. We expect to see more applications of this technology mixed with virtual reality in future allowing audiences even more freedom to toggle between different levels of immersion.
