Groove Jones

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.
I’m the co-executive director for Advantage Unified Commerce. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Groove Jones?
We hired Groove Jones as our development partner for creating a generative AI experience for our customers. 

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?
Our agency created the idea, and once we awarded the project to Groove Jones, we sat down and discussed how we’d bring the idea to life. We did some UI designs and walked the team through our concept. They gave us a list of what they needed from us, which included a lot of reference photos.
During the project, we met weekly for six weeks. Their biggest role was creating the generative AI model. They gave us updates on their progress, and we made changes and revisions where necessary. This process went on until we built the beta version of the product. We brought the beta product to the client and received a couple of comments and revisions. Finally, we went live.
For features and functionality, the generative AI model allowed users to upload a photo of themselves and receive a new photo based on the options they selected. Users could also download the new photos to their camera roll and share them with people in their network or social channels. Much of the work focused on ensuring the backgrounds and skin tones were accurate. That was the reason we had to give a lot of reference photos to Groove Jones.
What is the team composition?
We worked with a project manager, a lead developer, and Karim (Creative Director). In total, we met around 3–4 teammates from Groove Jones, though there might be more behind the scenes.
How did you come to work with Groove Jones?
Groove Jones worked with another agency in our network. We also talked to 4–5 potential development partners and received bids from them. We selected Groove Jones on the basis of their approach to the project as well as their previous work.
What is the status of this engagement?
The project lasted from March–August 2023. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?
We launched the AI model as a test in a smaller market, and we saw strong results. During the initial launch, we had upwards of 20,000 site visits. The average time spent on the website was under four minutes, and we gained an invite count of almost 60,000. Overall, Groove Jones’ work exceeded our expectations. We were pleased with their services and responsiveness to our revisions and requests.
How did Groove Jones perform from a project management standpoint?
Groove Jones delivered the project on time and within our budget. Karim did a phenomenal job, and so did the others. For communication, we met weekly on Microsoft Teams, and they gave us staging links for the development. They also used screen sharing with us.
What did you find most impressive about them?
Their innovative work was impressive. They helped us realize our vision and created something that didn’t exist before. The team created the product from scratch using a consistent and proven approach.
Are there any areas they could improve?
No, there weren’t any.
Do you have any advice for potential customers?
Be as prepared as you can be in terms of your vision, and be open to different interpretations of that vision. In our case, we knew what we wanted, but Groove Jones had a couple of ideas on how we could bring that to life. Overall, the more specific you are about your goals, the more successful you will be in developing them. 

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I'm a Sr. Communications Manager working for a Healthcare Technology company. My division focuses on medical devices in the gastrointestinal specialty.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Groove Jones?

We were launching a new brand for our organization and branching out of the Medical Device positioning to become a true Healthcare Technology brand. This included attending new and exciting conferences and events we previously haven't.

Our company was one of the sponsors and attendees of the Life Itself event, a TED-MED like conference with a carefully curated audience of entertainers, entrepreneurs, tech leaders, and healthcare advocates. Our CEO was one of the speakers and the event featured a booth exhibit as well.

Our goal was to create a memorable, interactive experience that will not only position our company as a health-tech leader, but also help attendees learn about the benefits of Artificial Intelligence for colorectal cancer screening.

Groove Jones was identified as a unique, creative, and tech-savvy partner that could help us ideate and execute on this need.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor and what were the deciding factors?

After carefully reviewing our existing roster of agencies and creative partners, it was clear that none possessed the appropriate mix of technical skills and creativity needed to create something fresh and that will meet our needs - on a relatively short timeline, as well.

Originally, we had 8-9wks to ideate & execute on the experience which required both parts of the process to complete on an accelerated timeline. Due to COVID, the conference was pushed back twice, allowing us ample time to explore further the concept we came up with and polish it before the new event date.

Groove Jones was not only able to ideate with us within days and present fleshed-out concepts that were appealing and on budget, they also had a team that was capable of meeting our most aggressive deadline - even though it was not required.

Describe the project in detail and walk through the stages of the project.

What we created was a video game that lets the user select one of our Artificial Intelligence powered medical devices and traverse the "cyber colon", their goal is to detect as many polyps as possible.

Each device level was designed to look and operate slightly differently. We created a scoring system that paired with power-ups that also impacted a player's score -- detect the smallest, hardest to see polyp and you get more points...detect several in a row, and you get a slow-motion power-up that helps you detect even more by moving the device or its reticle over the polyp...and most importantly, underscoring the importance of AI, once you see and collect an AI power-up "coin" it automatically detects all polyps in your vicinity and rakes up your points substantially.

The gameplay was fine tuned to ensure a sufficient difficulty ramp as you play, but also to be as fun, addictive, and repeatable as possible! At the end of your run/level, you can enter your name and see where you ranked on the scoreboard. Additionally, we included a "selfie" moment with your name and score, encouraging players to stand in front of our 10'x10' screen and take a photo which they can then share on social media if so inclined.

The game included audible alerts and indications, music, and sound FX to go with the spectacular graphics in the style of Beat Saber, Thumper, and others -- while being entirely new and unique. Groove also design a podium and controller for the game - both of which fit the theme but also our brand requirements.

How many resources from the vendor's team worked with you, and what were their positions?

I primarily worked with 4 individuals from the team - starting with one of the co-founders and partners of GJ while ideating, budgeting, and finalizing the scope of work, then had a dedicated project manager, and also collaborated regularly with their creative director.

Finally, during our event, we had an on-site experience manager that set-up the game and was available throughout the week for technical support and the tear-down at the end of the event. There were other members of the team that I know worked on this project, but these 4 were my primary resources in the months leading to the event.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

Our booth was clearly the most visited, with clear attribution to the game as the key draw. Numerous attendees posted about it on their social media accounts, took photos in our booth, repeatedly asked if and how they can share this experience with others and how they can learn more about our AI innovations featured in the game.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Extremely effective. We had all major functions represented in our meetings, but also kept the team small enough to be nimble and not lose time/momentum over needless meetings or emails.

What did you find most impressive or unique about this company?

Their technical capability and creativity are second to none and show in every layer of their organization.

Are there any areas for improvement or something they could have done differently?

Not at all. I'm so very pleased with the process, the outcome, and the price tag. I loved working with this team and really look forward to our next project together!

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am the VP of Marketing for FC Dallas; we're a member of Major League Soccer.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Groove Jones?

We had the opportunity to create augmented reality murals for our stadium, so we wanted to engage a partner who could help us build those.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Groove Jones has supported us with various AR and VR needs. They’ve helped us create four murals on display in our stadium and organized VR events for fans to enjoy.  

They built the initial VR experience from scratch and set up the machines at our stadium. They came to our practices to film players and capture their body movements in preparation for the event. They also had the players step into the VR machines to scan their likeness so they could incorporate it into fan videos.

The event itself was for season ticket members, and Groove Jones created an experience where fans could scan their bodies or images and step into a VR soccer experience with three of our FC Dallas players. Groove Jones also created a video feature for the VR experience, where participants could see themselves playing a match with our FC Dallas team and making a goal. They also allowed participants to share the video via social media or text easily. 

As for the murals, we’ve worked with Groove Jones on two iterations for four AR murals that feature our players. We provide creative assets such as logos and images, and Groove Jones builds the physical mural that gets applied to the stadium wall with adhesive. They’ve also created QR codes, which they apply to the murals. They’ve also helped us wrap vehicles with similar AR artwork we collaborated on for the murals. They continue to assist us with AR maintenance needs and other AR and VR projects. 

What is the team composition?

Our main point of contact is Dan (Founding Partner). We also worked with about 7–8 designers and videographers to prepare for the VR experience. Dale (Executive Creative Director) was responsible for shooting the video of our players. 

Groove Jones also sent 8–10 technical team members to our stadium for the event, who helped fans navigate the scanning machines and ensured they received their videos.

How did you come to work with Groove Jones?

One of my colleagues in my last role had heard of Groove Jones and referred their services to us for an AR project, and they did a good job. After working with them in my last role, I knew they could help us create AR murals for FC Dallas, so I gave them a quick call, and we went right to work.

What is the status of this engagement?

We began working with Groove Jones in February 2022, and they delivered the first mural and ran our first VR experience in April 2022. We continue to collaborate with them on various projects.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement? 

They’ve helped us create a fantastic experience for our fans, and we’ve received a lot of positive feedback regarding the VR experience and the AR murals. We’ve seen about 300–5000 participants per day at each VR experience we’ve set up. Those participants shared videos to various social media channels, so our reach is difficult to measure, but we know it’s there. 

Since working with Groove Jones, we’ve seen roughly 1,000 people per game take advantage of the AR murals. Fans like to take pictures with the murals and scan the QR codes; their work has helped bring our stadium to life.

How did Groove Jones perform from a project management standpoint?

Groove Jones is easy to work with, and our collaboration process is smooth. Depending on the project, we have weekly or biweekly calls via Google Meet and Teams. The team is very responsive and always delivers projects within our time frame and budget.

We provided the images and the artwork for the murals, and they took those assets and brought the players to life. During our weekly meetings, we’d review designs, and Groove Jones always asked for feedback and applied it. We went through 3–4 iterations from the initial designs to the final AR deliverables.

When they helped us wrap vehicles, they were involved in every step of the process and ensured the wrapping was pulled off flawlessly. They’re a positive, friendly team, and working with them has been great.

Groove Jones has been there for us post-installation and continues to support us by making minor tweaks to the murals. They’ve returned to the stadium several times to ensure the experience works for fans, which we appreciate.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Groove Jones has a unique position in the market because they deliver both VR and AR experiences well. Their ability to take our feedback and apply it to deliver exactly what we’re looking for sets them apart. Their technical expertise is also one of their strengths; they generate content that looks very real. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

I have nothing they could improve on. We had one miscommunication regarding deliverables early on in the project, but Groove Jones worked with us to rectify the matter, and together we devised an effective solution.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

I advise being clear and upfront about your expectations so they can deliver their best creative work. They’re incredibly talented, so if you collaborate on the concept and give them clear parameters, they’ll pleasantly surprise you.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

We are a large youth education organization. I’m the senior interactive producer and I manage all of our digital properties.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Groove Jones?

We wanted to make our education tools more engaging and effective through the use of AR.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

After the RFP process and proposal evaluation, we worked with Groove Jones to develop the concept of the AR experience. We created the 2D storyboards, content, and design, and their team went ahead to develop and beta-test the AR app. 

What is the team composition?

I worked with around 7–8 people. 

How did you come to work with Groove Jones?

We came to choose Groove Jones over other providers because of their library of work. 

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with them around October–November 2021, and the project was completed last February 2022.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?

We’re still currently tracking the usage metrics of the app, but overall, we were very happy with the services provided by Groove Jones. 

How did Groove Jones perform from a project management standpoint?

We communicated via email and Slack. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

They were very creative, flexible, and efficient. Groove Jones brought up great ideas, but they were also able to evolve the product fairly quickly from their original idea.

Are there any areas they could improve?

They could ensure that the whole team is aware of the initial project requirements. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

I trust that my friends know how to work with an agency, so I don’t have any special notes. I know that Groove Jones is good at what they do. 

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the Director of Marketing for AAON Inc. We manufacture semi-custom commercial air conditioning.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Groove Jones, and what were your goals?

We created a new mobile marketing show trailer to take our equipment and technology to our customers. We wanted to have the best show trailer for our industry. We have a 24' wide x 5' tall touchscreen in this show trailer. Groove Jones created all of the content for this touchscreen. Groove Jones also created a custom VR experience for this trailer with three different activities.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor and what were the deciding factors?

Our trailer manufacturer had worked with this before and highly recommended them. We met with them and were very impressed.

Describe the scope of work in detail, including the project steps, key deliverables, and technologies used.

They created content for our touchscreen display and a VR experience. The touchscreen display included a video player for videos that we already had, a new interactive 3D environment showing our testing laboratory, and interactive 3D models of all of our products.

The VR experience consisted of a 360 degree camera tour of our testing laboratory, a 360 degree camera tour of one of our manufacturing plants and a custom built 3D environment on top of a skyscraper where a helicopter lands one of our rooftop air conditioners on the skyscraper and you can open the unit to see the features that we have inside.

How many people from the vendor's team worked with you, and what were their positions?

We worked with two of the owners, a producer and two content developers.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any measurable outcomes of the project or general feedback about the deliverables?

Our launch of our mobile marketing trailer has been a stellar success. Our reps around the country are excited to have the trailer in their territories and we have booked up half of this year already.

Describe their project management style, including communication tools and timeliness.

Groove Jones is very easy to work with. We had video conferences, they visited us, we went to their place and we emailed a lot too. We had a hard deadline to have this completed by our National Sales Meeting in October of 2021. There wasn't a lot of time to get this all done but Groove Jones did a great job getting it done.

What did you find most impressive or unique about this company?

They had great ideas and they made very impressive content.

Are there any areas for improvement or something they could have done differently?

We were in a time crunch so sometimes it felt like we might not finish in time. However, it all came together great.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I work for Aurea Software. We’re a software company with a growing portfolio of solutions, which are a combination of companies we’ve acquired and products we build. One part of our portfolio is organized around what we call “the future of work,” which is about how tomorrow’s workforce will require a more hybrid approach, becoming more global, remote, and distributed.

I’m the chief product officer, so I’m responsible for the product, vision, strategy, and execution as we invest across our various products.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Groove Jones - XR, AR, VR & Digital Solutions?

We got an opportunity to participate in a large telephone conference that happens every year in Barcelona. We wanted to showcase a super futuristic view of what we believe work will be like in 5–10 years based on VR and AR. We think people will be able to work with the kind of technology that we see in movies and games like Matrix or Ready Player One, but adapted to the business side.

Therefore, we wanted to build an immersive and realistic experience that leveraged VR and went beyond putting a pair of VR glasses.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

When we started, we weren’t sure of what we wanted or what was possible. With Groove Jones, we quickly came to the conclusion that we wanted to build a physical environment where people could step inside and experience VR as if they were in it. Therefore, we wanted to create a room like Star Trek’s holodeck where customers could go inside and be in the virtual world.

We modeled the room around the way the Mandalorian was filmed. They used completely enclosed screens around the soundstage to build a rendered 3D VR, so people could interact with the world as if they were working through a virtual office — they could walk down the hallways, see people, and interact with content. In summary, we were trying to build the workplace of the future.

After we decided that’s what we wanted to build, we asked ourselves how we could do it, what technology to use, what were the content and the story, and so on. We worked with Groove Jones to solve all of these aspects.

What is the team composition?

We worked with almost the whole company. Typically, we would’ve spent nine months doing this project, and we did it in three, so it was a last-minute project. We didn’t know how many people were involved, but it was an all-hands-on-deck type of work. We had at least 20 people on it.

How did you come to work with Groove Jones - XR, AR, VR & Digital Solutions?

We were looking for a partner with deep VR experience that could help us with all the aspects of working in a foreign country, building an experience at a conference we’d never been to before, and delivering in short time frames. We searched online, and we found 5–6 companies with the right sort of skills. We spoke to 3–4, and we chose Groove Jones for two reasons.

First, they weren’t scared by the ambiguity of what we wanted to do nor the shortness of the timeline. On the contrary, they were somewhat excited by it, whereas other companies thought it was too soon and not clear enough. Also, they were able to go as far down the stack as we wanted. They had many skills in a full capability of production.

How much have you invested with them?

It was a fair amount of money. We spent at least $2 million on this project.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with them around March 2021, and the event was at the end of June 2021. We’re still doing some post-production work, creating an ongoing, reusable version. It’ll be embedded in a headset that we can send to our partners and customers. Moreover, we’ll almost certainly use them again on other events.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?

It was the best demo experience that I’ve seen. It had the quality of a Disneyland ride and the production level of a Super Bowl. It was truly first class, and everyone that went through it was blown away. I took about 40 executives over 4–5 days to see it, and every one of them said it was incredible.

In terms of delivery, quality, reliability, and professionalism, Groove Jones was second to none. Also, the fact that they did it so quickly, considering we didn’t know what we wanted initially, made it all more impressive. I was amazed at the end result; I thought I knew what it would be like, but I didn’t have any idea it would be that good.

How did Groove Jones - XR, AR, VR & Digital Solutions perform from a project management standpoint?

They managed the project incredibly tightly. The biggest challenges were around our end; we were moving so fast and weren’t quite sure of what we were doing. Groove Jones’ team did a good job of pushing us when they needed answers and dealing with many last-minute changes. They drove the schedule pretty well, but they were also very accommodating to what we needed. We told them upfront that it was a challenging project and we would be super needy, but they said that some of their best work is done under those circumstances.

What did you find most impressive about them?

The breadth of knowledge that they had about all the different aspects of technology was invaluable. The project could’ve gone 50 different ways, but they were great at getting us on the right path thanks to their expertise across everything. We never could’ve got those results if we’d assembled a cast of different vendors; we simply wouldn’t have been able to do pull it off.

Also, they were great at working with other vendors that were involved. Since it was a large conference, there were many rules, so we couldn’t do everything we wanted. Groove Jones was super flexible around those layers, followed the rules, and pushed a little bit when we tried to do something that didn’t quite fit the standards.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I can’t think of anything. Realistically, I couldn’t expect them to do better. It was a crazy, wildly ambitious, last-minute project, and they knocked it out of the park.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

If you come in with a preconceived idea, they WILL execute against it, but they’re the experts, so I’d let them steer the course.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the owner of a VR development company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Groove Jones?

We were creating a location-based experience for a theatre, and we needed someone with experience in both technology and creative.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Groove Jones determined which game engine we should use. Then, they designed a VR experience based on a script that we provided them with. They designed what the environment would look like, as well as all of the characters and animals. The team added point of view and creative content. 

They advised on all of the hardware for the PCs that run the experience. They also advised and organized the hardware relative to the VR headsets themselves. Then, they troubleshot any issues we had during startup.

The end deliverable was a ten-minute VR experience that people now view commercially.

What is the team composition?

Our main point of contact was Gary (Executive Producer & Partner). 

How did you come to work with Groove Jones?

We had to evaluate several different technologies and make a few technologies work together that had never worked together before. In discussing that with various service providers, Groove Jones seemed to have the deepest technical expertise on how to make it happen.

How much have you invested with them?

It was over $1 million.

What is the status of this engagement?

Our work together began in December 2019, and we wrapped up in October 2020.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?

The VR experience is available publicly, and it’s been received with overwhelming praise. I don’t think my experience working with Groove Jones could’ve been any better.

How did Groove Jones perform from a project management standpoint?

They were very responsive. We communicated through typical tools like email, phone calls, and texts. They were forward-thinking, and they took it upon themselves to get to the next step.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their ability to marry their technical acumen and creative capacity in order to provide something that the public would really enjoy was very impressive.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, I don’t think so. This was a hard project, and they did a great job.

Any advice for potential customers?

I would recommend anybody that needs these types of services to hire Groove Jones — it was a great experience for me.

Come prepared with a skeleton concept of what you want to do, and let Groove Jones flesh that out by bringing in the realities of technology and what’s available. Allow them to cast a vision for what you want to end up with.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

My company is called Thinkbank. I represent animation studios and solve problems for agencies. I’m a hybrid, so I’m not just a representative. I don’t just find jobs, but I also executive produce them.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Groove Jones?

I directed a campaign for a studio in South Carolina that was working on a real-time motion capture otter for the St. Louis Aquarium. They designed the character but didn’t know much about real-time motion capture, which is complex. The aquarium also didn’t have the budget for a traditional real-time motion capture project.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Groove Jones came up with a new motion capture system that allowed us to hit our budget. Their team had the idea to use hand controllers as modifications of joysticks, which were typically used in real-time motion capture projects. They also had the idea to use an iPhone for facial capturing.

They redesigned the CGI otter, making the character programmable with all of its points of motion. Their team made the design motion capturable and then built the whole system, which enabled actors to control the fully animated otter in the attraction area. Groove programmed a solution that enabled actors to move and have their faces captured to animate the otter.

Their team also programmed eight animated cycles into the system, which were too complex to capture. When guests click in certain areas, the otter performs certain actions according to the cycles.

Groove created solutions that allow the actors to program a show. We took a script and made a 3.5-minute show into seven, 30-second pods. Each pod starts with an actor talking with the audience who could choose a different end for each show.

What is the team composition?

I worked with Ashton (Head of Production AR/VR), Dale (Executive Creative Director & Partner), Dan (EVP Interactive Digital & Partner), and Gary (Executive Producer & Partner). For the most part, I communicated with Ashton, Gary, and Dale.

How did you come to work with Groove Jones?

I knew Groove Jones when they ran a different animation studio. I’ve always liked their work. They’d done cool animations. I’d been talking to Gary for years. We think similarly and have fun. In these crazy times, you want to work with people that you can trust.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent between $160,000–$170,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

I started to contact them when we put this project to bid. We started the work in July 2019 and finished when the aquarium opened in December 2019.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement? 

The otter—Tommy—became part of the aquarium’s brand because he was so interactive. He’s now a signature to the aquarium.

Normally, the project would’ve cost $300,000. But Groove Jones solved for the real-time motion capture animation without the fancy suits. Their team found a creative way to complete this project within the budget.

The system's intuitiveness and simplicity are important. It allows folks at the aquarium to make adjustments when necessary.

How did Groove Jones perform from a project management standpoint?

From a project management standpoint, they were excellent. Their team stayed involved throughout the project. With smaller studios, I executive produce their projects. I have to make sure that everyone’s in line. I don’t have to do that with Groove. I can bring them a job and turn back, which is rare.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Groove Jones literally invented a brand new system in the middle of this project. They brought all of these elements together—hand controllers and iPhones—and made the project possible. This type of motion capture didn’t exist. But now it does.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I’ve been happy with them overall.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Call them and let them do their job.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I work for the Dallas Mavericks, NBA basketball team. There, I am the VP of the creative studio. I lead and oversee the expressions of our brand and how it comes to life in marketing, advertising, social, and game presentation.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Groove Jones?

This past season, we’ve been trying to focus on players. We wanted fans to get to know them a bit better. They’re all great at basketball, but what are their other passions? For example, one of our players had a lot of heart and wanted to do more philanthropic efforts, and he wasn’t able to do that as much as he would have liked with his last team. We thought it was a great opportunity for us to create a campaign to end childhood hunger and food insecurity. For every block he had in season, he donated $500, and we needed to get that message out. We brought in Groove Jones to support that.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We pulled in Groove Jones to create an AR element that would allow some of our fans to get into the experience. We have a lot of wall space for ads and marketing in downtown Dallas. So we created these wallscapes, and fans can use their device to get more involved.

They can go to our website for web AR experience. The player would then come out of the mural and asks users to pop a shot. User can flick on their screen and shoot, but our player always blocks it.

You didn't make a basket, but you did help me raise money to help stop childhood hunger. So that became a lasting experience for our fans.

From that, we were able to repurpose the app for full page ads in our game program. So when fans are killing time before a game, they're able to pull the experience and do it right there on the receipt.

They took our designs and implemented them in a way that would work in the web experience. They then did a video shoot to capture an image of our player. It seemed to come to life, and the design aesthetic really helped. We just had to make a few tweaks here and there.  They were adaptive and made everything work.

The original design was more horizontal Then we made a second version of the app. This time, the real estate was on a building and was vertical, it was like a scaled-up version of an Instagram story. They were able to repurpose the product, gave our player a new jersey, and did completely new colors. Everything that was blue silver and black in the first app, became more graffiti-style graphics and colors. It looked like it was from The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air.

What is the team composition?

There were about 6–7 people involved in the project. I worked with two figureheads, and I know that the project involved an audio person and a few designers.

How did you come to work with Groove Jones?

I worked with a few of their teammates before and they’re based in Dallas. They’re a great group, and I knew they would get it done and improve upon our concepts. They’ve also worked with the team in the past.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent about $500,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in November 2019 and it’s ongoing. We were planning to do another project leading into playoffs, but everything was put on hold for COVID-19.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement? 

Our player was very pleased with the outcome. It was exactly what they were looking for. We’ve been trying to evolve our brand, and this project has helped bring some swagger back into our brand. We want to invest in more innovative fan engagement pieces. Now other players are interested in doing something similar. The more buy-in we get from our players, the better for everyone.

We also won an award for best in out-of-home for their efforts. Now that we have precedent, we want to build some momentum for awards like this.

How did Groove Jones perform from a project management standpoint?

One of the benefits of being local, we could meet in person a few times. We also used phone and email.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They came into every conversation with some curiosity and excitement. They would be like, what if we tried this? For example, every time he blocked a shot, a comic-book type graphic would say something like ka-pow! That’s the fun type of collaboration that really made the product better. It wasn’t part of our original plan, but I’m glad they came up with it. A lot of vendors just deliver what their clients want, or they try to upsell them. Groove Jones just wants to deliver a quality product.

Are there any areas they could improve?

It didn’t really affect our project, but I just hope that as they continue to scale and do bigger things, that they have the infrastructure to support it all.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

If you’re too focused on your own concepts, you might miss out on the what if conversations with them. The benefits of hiring an outside collaborator, is that they can bring additional resources and ideas. At the same time, if you have an idea, you need to be forthcoming about it.  The more collaborative you can be, the better the work will be.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the chief creative officer at an advertising agency, 3Headed Monster.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Groove Jones?

Our biggest client wanted to create excitement and social sharing around one of their activations.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Our idea was to put consumers into our client’s TV commercial. We wanted to take the commercial’s principal actor and replace them with the consumer in real-time during an activation, and then provide the consumer with their own version of the spot that they could share on social media. The real-time rendering had never been done before. Groove Jones came up with an AI-driven, cloud-based solution that nailed it. 

What is the team composition?

I worked directly with the founder Dale (Executive Creative Director) because he and I go back, but there were a number of folks involved. 4–5 people from their team carried most of it. 

How did you come to work with Groove Jones?

I have a longstanding relationship with Dale; we’ve produced several successful projects together over the years, so I have a great deal of trust in him.

How much have you invested with them?

This project was about $70,000–$80,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

This project happened in March–April 2019. Part of the challenge was solving something that’s never been done before in a quick timeframe.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?

It was highly successful; the client was pleased. The program rolled on longer than expected across the country and even out of the country because they were so happy with it. 

We’re working with Groove Jones again on another project with a different client. Anytime we have a production need that requires the creative use of technology, Groove Jones is always our first call. They’re second-to-none at producing things with a tough technical challenge. 

How did Groove Jones perform from a project management standpoint?

They’re great at project management. Communication is fast and fluid, and it’s never a problem.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They’re incredibly talented creatives who understand technology. Their backgrounds in animation, VR, and AR makes them very well-rounded to handle any type of creative production with any technical aspect to it.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No; they’re great.

Any advice for potential customers?

Communicate your idea and challenge clearly, and they will help you solve it.