Inside ESPN 'Monday Night Football' Patriots-Bears augmented reality - USA TODAY

Before the New England Patriots big the Chicago Bears on ESPN's "Monday Night Football," Pat the Patriot has an important task. 

With kickoff moments away, the Gillette Stadium video committee volition amusement the team's mascot walking into the locker country with a power inside. He'll flip it from "Gillette" to “Gillette Labs,” igniting an augmented world experience as portion of an advertizing run for the institution to beforehand the company's Exfoliating Bar razor. 

The 45-second virtual run volition beryllium the archetypal of its benignant for an NFL broadcast and is an effort betwixt the Patriots, Gillette, and The Famous Group – a virtual lawsuit accumulation company. 

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"Tonight’s takeover is conscionable different originative illustration of however our naming rights spouse continues to support its pb successful the manufacture by relying connected cutting-edge innovation, exertion and design," Kraft Group president Jonathan Kraft said successful a statement. "We look guardant to providing platforms for galore much originative selling opportunities for years to come." 

Weeks ago, the Famous Group conducted a laser scan of the stadium, which is presently nether renovation. This allowed it to person pinpoint accuracy of the determination of existing architecture, and usage the mixed world effects to "make it travel to life," said Famous Group enforcement vice president for concern development Andrew Isaacson. Two cameras with tracking exertion marque the feat possible. 

The celebrated lighthouse – besides nether operation and expected to beryllium finished for adjacent play – shines a airy beam connected the 50-yard enactment connected the Patriots logo, which turns implicit for a metallic base. Shapes volition begin forming the Exfoliating Bar razor. 

“Almost similar a Transformer, coming to beingness astatine the mediate of the field,” Isaacson told USA TODAY Sports. 

Gillette vice president of North America grooming John Claughton said the institution wanted to find an outlet to marketplace the razor, released past year, and announce the GilletteLabs rebrand.

“We are precise arrogant of the information that it is successful beforehand of a nationalist audience,” Claughton told USA TODAY Sports. 

There volition besides beryllium a fireworks display, though fans wrong the stadium volition spot thing but the chill New England Autumn night, and announcer Joe Buck volition invited viewers to the broadcast connected ESPN.

Claughton expects those watching from location volition bask seeing the renovation's progression, and he called the augmented world acquisition "innovative and pioneering." 

"This is each astir the GilletteLabs marque being announced to NFL fans," Claughton said. "I deliberation Gillette is synonymous with the stadium and the New England Patriots." 

This is besides the archetypal clip a retail merchandise has been brought to life, Isaacson said. The Famous Group did an activation for Chipotle by pushing a burrito onto the crystal with Zamboni during a hockey game. But the company's signature virtual world deed was successful conjunction with the Carolina Panthers; mascot "Sir Purr" came to beingness and pounced astir the stadium.

The video that went connected societal media earned 1 cardinal impressions by halftime of that Sept. 12, 2021, game, Isaacson said. The tech is besides made for broadcast. Those factors made it casual for the Patriots to pioneer this benignant of selling successful the NFL. 

“The broadcast assemblage gets the accidental to consciousness similar they’re seeing thing arsenic well," Isaacson said, "not to notation the societal media interaction that this has afterward.

“It truly spins the media instrumentality truly well.” 

Follow Chris Bumbaca connected Twitter @BOOMbaca.