McDonald’s rings in Lunar New Year with viral creator Karen X Cheng

McDonald’s is celebrating the Year of the Rabbit by partnering with award-winning digital content creator Karen X Cheng to launch an exclusive interactive Lunar New Year experience. The collaboration includes Cheng’s creative designs via an AR filter, an immersive metaverse experience, and more using AI technology. Start your experience with this exclusive interactive game!

Karen X Cheng has been making waves as a creator for her viral videos and collaborations with A-list celebrities, amassing over 500 million views and being named Inc’s 30 Under 30 (2018) and Adweek’s Creative 100 (2018). Some of her most popular videos include learning to dance in a year, creating the first artificially intelligent magazine cover, and making a VR dance video for the metaverse.

The San Francisco-based artist is now launching her first brand partnership with McDonald’s with content that recognizes and celebrates her Chinese American heritage. “Teaming up with McDonald’s to create a campaign that not only leans into my passions as a creator but also my cultural identity is a dream come true,” Cheng said.

Her latest collaboration now features incredible art using some of the most advanced digital technology today including:

Augmented reality (AR) filter – Available on Instagram, the filter lets brand fans experience the transition from the Year of the Tiger (2022) to the Year of the Rabbit (2023) through a breathtaking 3D illusion.
Metaverse Experience – Imagining what a Lunar New Year celebration might look like in the future, the virtual space blends traditional Asian influences with futuristic elements, including 3D sculptures of the 12 Chinese zodiac animals. Hosted on Spatial and accessible through any connected device, the experience will allow brand fans to ring in the holiday with guests from around the world and attend special events — including a Year of the Rabbit celebration (Jan 25) and an evening with the artist (Feb 2) — featuring Karen in avatar form.
AI-powered television commercial – Inspired by Karen’s childhood memories of Lunar New Year, this video is one of the first to incorporate NeRF (neural radiance fields) technology, which utilizes artificial intelligence to create a 3D scene. Viewers are invited to scan an on-screen QR code to experience the artwork featured in the commercial as an interactive AR filter.

Celebrate the Lunar New Year with Karen X Cheng’s unprecedented art by clicking here! Happy Lunar New Year and Year of the Rabbit!

This post was created by NextShark with McDonald’s.

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