Halloween a Pervasive Analog Interactive Experience

At Operand we are passionate about digital interactivity but we often look to traditional analog interactive experiences for inspiration. One of the oldest and most classic interactive experiences is Halloween. This holiday embodies many of the interactive elements that make up a Pervasive experience with a high engagement value. So how is Halloween interactive? The people who are dressing up are making a very personal statement by selecting their costumes; this Contributory element sometime manifests itself as homemade creations that are proudly shared. Each year this changes and when you are younger this often reflects the things in your life that you are passionate about. Here are my two boys 4 and 2 years old who are dressed up as Power Rangers (neither of them have ever seen the show but the subject matter is so compelling that kids at school talk about it).
Look at their level of engagement compared to last year when they were merely wearing a costume vs. playing a character.
 
For the main event, teams of trick or treaters all embark on their Collective journey at the same time going door to door on their adventure for the most/best candy possible. This creates a dialog between friends and neighbors, commenting on customs and discussing which route to take. When you ring the door bell a moment of interaction takes place between two parties who are both actively engaged in the experience. The person handing out candy has prepared for this moment often decorating the doorway, creating an Immersive environment that leaves a clear indication that trick or treaters are welcome. A personal statement is made based on the type of candy they have chosen to give out, raisins and hard candy is not well received and can produce a negative interaction. Top 10 Worst Halloween Candies.
You can’t forget about the closing event where all parties involved return home after their journey is complete, either because time is up/or they feel like they have enough candy based on the weight in their bag. Everything obtained is dumped on table for parents and kids to start evaluating the candy for safety and categorization. Trading is an important interactive element of this holiday where siblings negotiate deals in an effort to collect the candy they enjoy the most. Stealing is another interactive element of this holiday that parents participate in when certain candy needs to be liberated because you don’t want them to eat it all. Maybe one day in the future a digital element will be incorporated into the experience but for now the analog works just fine. Enjoy the holiday.
 

posted by eric at 11:29 AM