Digitas Announces First-of-Its-Kind AR Documentary App at 12th Annual NewFront

NEW YORK, May 2, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Digitas, The Connected Marketing Agency, in partnership with the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum, announced the creation and upcoming release of "JFK Moonshot," a first-of-its-kind augmented reality documentary app experience. The announcement was made on stage at the agency's 12^th Annual NewFront event held in New York City.

Robert Guay, Digitas EVP, Managing Director and Steven Rothstein, Executive Director of the John F. Kennedy Library Foundation, unveiled "JFK Moonshot" as the centerpiece of a year-long celebration marking the 50^th anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon landing and President Kennedy's vision that launched the effort. 

"As creator of the concept and idea, Digitas tapped its diverse team of experts across capabilities of creative, data, media, strategy and tech to reconnect today's generation with a pivotal and historic moment through the medium of AR, a medium that was just as unthinkable as the moonshot was 50 years ago," said Guay.

"We're thrilled to have partnered with Digitas to bring this experience-- as well as President Kennedy's passion and moonshot legacy-- to life. Just as President Kennedy had the smartest people working on the most complex projects, we are appreciative to have Digitas as our creative, media and technology partner to prepare the virtual moon launch in July," Rothstein added.

"JFK Moonshot" employs the latest augmented reality technology, immersing users in the Apollo 11 mission from 1969. Once downloaded, "JFK Moonshot" app users can take a deeper dive into President Kennedy's vision for his moon shot and space program with interactive AR games, archival video footage and historical artifacts of Kennedy's time as President. 

On launch day, July 16^th, users can attend the Apollo 11 commemorative ceremony at the JFK Library in Boston, MA to witness the AR rocket launch or place the virtual rocket launch at home and then follow the five-day journey from the Earth to the Moon.

The "JFK Moonshot" app will be available for download to Apple and Android devices on May 29^th, President John F. Kennedy's birthday. Visit https://www.jfkmoonshot.org/ to sign up for app new and updates.

Digitas teamed up with UNIT9, a global production partner, to create the app.

About the Digitas NewFront

The Digitas NewFront is the centerpiece of the Digital Content NewFronts, a week of events packed with presentations from the world's biggest publishers (including Google/YouTube, Hulu, Verizon Media Group, The New York Times and Twitter, to name a few), the best storytellers, and the ad industry — all gathered to focus on the future of digital video content. Digitas, The Connected Marketing Agency, co-founded the NewFronts: we held our first event in 2008, igniting a marketplace that has grown from $730 million to a projected commercial value of over $58 billion in 2023 (eMarketer, Feb. 2019).

The Digitas NewFront 2019 confronted one of today's most important issues: Trust — in governments, media, brands and even each other. Speakers from CVS Health, VICE Media, The Thoughtful Technology Project, Hulu and more explored why trust is at an all-time low, why this matters for brands and how to use technology and storytelling to build (or rebuild) trust.

About the John F. Kennedy Library Foundation and John F. Kennedy Presidential Library

The John F. Kennedy Library Foundation is a 501(c)(3), non-profit organization founded in 1984 to provide financial support, staffing, and creative resources for the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum, a presidential library administered by the National Archives and Records Administration. The Kennedy Presidential Library and the Kennedy Library Foundation seek to promote, through educational and community programs, a greater appreciation and understanding of American politics, history, and culture, the process of governing and the importance of public service.

Visit www.jfklibrary.org for the latest announcements and calendar of events.

SOURCE Digitas