Italy is one of the countries that have been most affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. With a lot of restrictions in place many aspects of our life radically changed. Music makes no exception. Social distancing has basically put an end to live events, and the public massively turned to home entertainment. Stars from all over the world connected with their fans in the only possible way, through a screen. But nothing stood the comparison with actual live events.

Google realised that the immersive technology of its smart devices could play a great role in creating a new form of music entertainment.

The challenge was to convey the genuine vibe of a concert in people's living room. The launch of new smart speaker Google Nest Audio set the opportunity to design this experience.

The outstanding show of a music star, live in the home of his fans.

We created an immersive music experience based on the interaction between a YouTube Video and Google Nest Audio smart speaker.

We released a special YouTube video featuring the performance of acclaimed rap icon Ghali and promoted it as an actual concert.

The artist performed on stage and changed the setting and the soundscape around him by interacting with Google Assistant and the same happened in the homes of fans watching the video. Google Nest audio put the home environment in sync with the on-stage atmosphere through smart lights and sound effects, letting fans experience the concert as if they were a few steps away from the stage.

The pandemic had a strong impact on everyone’s life.

Live events have been put indefinitely on hold and our homes became the only possible scenario for every form of entertainment.

So how could we break the distance barrier between artists and fans without breaking the rules?

The challenge was to convey the genuine vibe of a concert in people’s living rooms.

We decided to use the power of AI, responsive technology and the sound quality of Google Nest Audio to create an immersive music experience for millions of Italian music fans. And we partnered up with pop icon Ghali who’s unique voice helped him to become a spokesperson for diversity and inclusion.

His tour has been canceled due to the pandemic, and together we created a one of a kind performance and made it available to all his fans.

The experience focused on a YouTube video designed to trigger the immersive features of Google Nest Audio in the homes of fans.

During his performance Ghali interacted with Google Assistant to change the setting, the lights and the soundscape around him.

The same happened in people’s living rooms, where Google Nest Audio activated smart lights accordingly and played additional sound bites that overlapped with the sound of the video enriching the experience.

The activity has been advertised as an actual concert, with Ghali announcing a tour reaching thousands of Italian cities, all on the same date.

We also produced “Front row kits”, special bundle packs containing everything needed to enjoy the show, and we dropped a merchandising collection.

The video was released on YouTube on December 1st, with the Italian launch of “Red Carpet”, a live premiere format that allowed fans to directly interact with Ghali just before the show.

With a total 9 million impression and 6.7 million reach Nest Virtual Stage was a hit since the moment of its release.

The show was watched by over 3.7 million fans and became trending video on YouTube: sales of Google Nest Audio increased by 400% since the campaign went live and brand favourability among main target audience increased by 8%.

The event got outstanding media coverage by the major national press and set a new standard for home music experiences.