John Lewis' March of the Penguin

This morning's unveiling of the new John Lewis Christmas campaign, Monty’s Christmas, a heart-warming story about a boy and his penguin, isn't just confined to your nearest video-watching device. 

We've already told you about the in-store tech that allows kids to bring their own cuddly toys to life. Now we can tell you about Monty himself being developed more fully with the help of the whizkids at Stinkdigital.

Partnering with adam&eveDDB who created the campaign, Stinkdigital has brought to life the loveable tale of Monty’s Christmas through the creation of an in-store immersive experience. Visitors to John Lewis stores will be able to interact through a stereoscopic viewer that runs on the power of a smartphone.

In this first of its kind virtual reality experience using Google Cardboard, shoppers are invited to join Monty and his friand, Sam, on a seasonal journey that brings the 2D illustrated story to life in a 3D world.

Following the real-time narrative of Monty and Sam’s journey, users are placed at a centre of the story and are invited to explore each scene from the book in 360 degrees. Lingering on characters and objects makes them come to life; twinkling stars in the sky as you look up, Monty and Sam hide and seek, dodging snowballs and hunting for a near-by meowing cat.

“Taking the linear storybook and transforming it through technology into an interactive in-store experience enabled us to extend the impact of this year’s campaign," says Jax Ostle Evans, executive producer at Stinkdigital. "Projects like these allow us to make innovation accessible and exciting for all.”

Launched today, installations will be set up in 42 John Lewis stores across the UK where shoppers will be able to enjoy the experience in-store, as well as at home on desktop throughout the festive season.