Immersing Consumers in 'Immersive Experiences'

Different brands have different business methods, but they all have at least one goal in common: to engage audiences effectively. Today's brands want to beat the competition by getting consumers to enjoy products in innovative ways. That's why, when it comes to web design and marketing, one of the most overused phrases is "immersive experience," earning it a spot in our new series, "30 Days of Buzzwords."

So, what is immersive experience? You can think of it as a highly visual — and often social — web environment on a brand's website. Think big picture (literally) — sites with immersive web designs usually have an image or video as the entire background, completely absorbing your attention. Once the site loads, you're immediately submerged in the subject matter, hence the term "immersive."

These types of interactive web environments probably borrow from concepts we attribute to video games, film and TV — which, when successful, can make you forget you're looking at a screen at all. In fact, "immersion" is a term often used with virtual reality. We're an increasingly visual species, and with everything on the Internet vying for our attention, immersive experiences almost seem necessary to catch a consumer's eye, whether it's for a clothing line or a production company.


It's difficult to confirm which brand had the very first website featuring an immersive experience, but one brand is certainly laying claim to the title — University of Texas Football. Head coach Mack Brown hired design agency Right Here Interactive in 2008 to set up the team's microsite, with catchiness and a fast pace in mind.

When you go to the site,, you first see the team's logo on a black background, with a makeshift equalizer that goes along with the sound of a cheering crowd. Before long, you're immersed in an inspiring video, captivating still images and rousing pep band music. You instantly feel like you're part of something, merging real life with the virtual.

Below are some other shining examples:

Google Cultural Institute

  • Google Cultural Institute: Google's Cultural Institute aims to preserve and promote culture online. Its immersive experience brings global storytelling to a new level.

  • Burberry: Fashion brand Burberry provides an immersive experience with the Bespoke tab on its site, where you can design a personalized version of the company's iconic trenchcoat.

  • Control Films: This Parisian boutique production company has a beautiful, unencumbered site with a focus on video.

  • Snow Fall: Many readers lauded the page design for being the "future of journalism," but some critics disagreed, highlighting the difficulties and cons of immersive experience at the same time. For example, Derek Thompson of The Atlantic noted that it takes a lot of time and manpower, which isn't exactly conducive to day-to-day journalism. And if you don't have a massive audience like the Timesdoes, your immersive experience could end up being the proverbial fallen tree in the forest.Still, for the right company, immersive design can be worth the trouble.

    The phrase "immersive experience" doesn't sound as pretentious as some other buzzwords (like "clickability" or "snackable content") — at least not yet. It sounds inviting and, honestly, kind of desirable. Everyone wants to be immersed in interesting web content, and brands are quickly learning how to use that to their advantage. But to succeed, it has to be done well.

    Image via iStockphoto, SerrNovik; Screenshot courtesy of Google Cultural Institute