About 20 years ago, the only function of a mobile phone was to make calls. Today, with the evolution of devices, it is possible to send messages, photos, and even have real-time video conversations. This is a clear example of how technology has contributed to bringing people closer and facilitating their interactions over the years. In this way, Experience Design has often seen the virtual environment as an ally in enhancing consumer experience. An example of this is the cosmetics brand Burberry, which, together with Google, developed an initiative that allowed people to send a kiss and a message to someone anywhere in the world.
To experience this, it was necessary to access a website and have a device with
a camera and touch-screen. After that, the consumer could choose the color of the kiss, using the shades of the brand's lipsticks, kiss the screen, and send it to someone along with a message.
The “virtual kisses” also featured a personalized animation of an envelope that traveled along the path of the kiss, from the sender's location to that of the
recipient, showcasing the city's skyline in three dimensions. The consumer could also view, through an interactive map, all the kisses being sent via the device in real time.
By using the app as a tool to connect the physical world to the virtual one, the initiative revolutionized the way brand experiences are created and delivered to consumers. Through this modification of the user's contact with virtuality – which required both the representative gesture of the sender to trigger the kiss and send it to the desired person, as well as the recipient's action to open the message – the activity managed to reach consumers and produce the same action with the same intention for both.
