Hotel 626 – Virtual Experience - Site of Display
Creators: Doritos + Goodby, Silverstein & Partners
(Rachel Brickel & Anthony Jimenez)
Doritos wanted an ad campaign that teens would respond to. In 2008 Doritos set to bring back "two flavors from the dead” in a unique way by making an online virtual experience, Hotel 626. Making it's debut on Halloween, the online game was only playable from 6pm-6am daily. The player finds themselves trapped inside of a haunted hotel and has to find a way out. The game features 3-d environments, first person point of view, and full range of motion. This was the first time a website had ever utilized this technology. Players became more connected with the virtual environment from the integration of microphone, web cam, and cell phone interaction. Players use their microphone to get through obstacles in the game, for instance singing a demon baby to sleep. The game becomes even more personal when it takes a web cam photo of the player without their knowledge, and puts it in the Killer's Layer. The game goes as far as calling the player's actual cell phone number, where they listen to a guiding voice that monitors your every move in-game. Hotel 626 was also the first to integrate social media sites (such as Twitter, Facebook) into an online game. The game connected players and inducted status updates of game visits and actions onto player's social profiles. Players could also take their photo from the Killer's Layer and upload it straight to their display picture. 
This virtual experience provides entertainment for its viewers as they interact with the virtual environment. The experience induces emotions through sound, imagery, involvement and atmosphere (late hours, dark, etc.) among other things. Fear is especially manifested from these elements. Its exclusive playable time emphasizes the personal involvement with the game as a real-time event, maximizing fearful tension. The game's first person perspective gives off the illusion that the player is physically involved with his/her virtual surroundings. This is further stressed by using their voice, phone, and face in real time. Although this game is not reality, players still have an intimate and emotional experience with the game, as if it were real because of these devices. Connecting the player to their social networking accounts further emphasizes the community feel to the experience by bringing players together. Hotel 626 set the stage for multiple websites to utilize this type of online game technology because of its successful impact on attracting teen consumers. This Doritos advertisement changed the landscape for the commercial industry and how they approach youthful audiences through the digital realm.(Rachel Brickel & Anthony Jimenez)
http://hotel626.com/hotel.html
