Hakuhodo DY Holdings and Spatial Intelligence Company MESON Conduct Proof-of-Concept Experiment on the Impact of 180° Immersive Video on Viewer Experience

Hakuhodo DY Holdings, Ltd. (Minato-ku, Tokyo; President & CEO: Yasuo Nishiyama; hereinafter 'Hakuhodo DY Holdings'), through its research and development division, the Marketing Technology Center (hereinafter 'MTC'), has conducted a proof-of-concept experiment in collaboration with MESON, Inc. (Chuo-ku, Tokyo; President & CEO: Yuki Kobayashi; hereinafter 'MESON'). This new initiative investigates how 'filming distance' in 180° Immersive Video affects viewers’ sense of presence (the feeling of 'being there') and their psychological closeness to performers within the content. The results demonstrated that videos filmed from closer distances elicited psychological responses such as 'feeling like I wanted to respond to the performer' and 'feeling as if I were actually there,' thereby reducing the psychological distance between viewers and performers. This suggests that filming distance in Immersive Video is not merely a matter of framing or composition, but a variable influencing emotional and psychological appeal in experience design, potentially becoming a key factor in cultivating audience engagement with IPs.

Research Background

Immersive Video is a new form of visual media that allows viewers to experience a sensation of being inside the video space, unlike traditional 2D video. It is experienced via head-mounted displays (hereinafter 'HMDs'), enabling viewers to feel as if they are inside the video environment rather than watching from outside the screen.

A key concept for understanding such experiences is 'presence.' Presence refers to the subjective sensation of 'being there' within a virtual space. Until now, the relationship between presence in Immersive Video and engagement factors such as closeness or psychological proximity to performers has not been thoroughly investigated. In particular, for human-centered content such as live performances, the perceived proximity between the viewer and the performer may significantly influence fan experience and engagement. Therefore, this study investigated how differences in filming distance affect 'presence' and the resulting psychological impact on viewers. This experiment was conducted with the cooperation of CONSENT Inc. and CRAZY TV Creative Inc., using produced and filmed Immersive Video content.

Experiment Overview

For this study, fourth-generation trainees of STU48 assisted with filming, focusing on their live performance of the song 'Shukkou' (Departure). Two types of 180° stereoscopic Immersive Videos were produced with different filming distances: a high-presence condition (1,200 mm from the center-stage performer position) and a low-presence condition (7,600 mm from the center-stage performer position). Both conditions used the same song, performers, choreography, and venue, with only the camera position differing. Participants were recruited via STU48’s social media, with fan club members defined as core fans and non-members as light fans. Twelve participants from each group experienced the videos via HMD.

Key Research Findings

1. Closer filming distances increased sense of presence

Under the high-presence condition, participants rated significantly higher on presence-related indicators compared to the low-presence condition, including 'feeling as if I were there,' 'feeling as if I were at the viewpoint within the video,' 'wanting to make eye contact with the performer,' and 'feeling like I might call out in response to the performer.' These results suggest that in Immersive Video, filming distance does not merely alter visual perspective, but affects whether viewers feel physically present in the video space and how close they perceive the performers.

2. High-presence videos promote audience cultivation by fostering psychological closeness

This study measured psychological closeness to performers using the 'IOS-scale,' a method where participants represent their relationship with another person as the overlap of two circles. Greater overlap indicates a stronger sense of psychological closeness.

Analysis showed that participants who experienced the high-presence video reported significantly greater psychological closeness to the performers compared to those who viewed the low-presence video. This suggests that high-presence Immersive Video experiences may lead to a psychological shift, making content feel more personally accessible.

Moreover, after experiencing the high-presence video, light fans’ level of psychological closeness reached levels comparable to those of core fans before their video experience. This indicates that Immersive Video experiences may accelerate audience cultivation.

The findings of this study are compiled in a preprint paper titled 'Enhancing Presence, Deepening Fan Intensity: How Presence in Immersive Video Shapes Psychological Closeness to Performers.' The paper provides more detailed, specialized analysis on the degree of change in psychological proximity, differences between light and core fans, and exploratory analysis of psychological shifts post-experience, in addition to the results presented in this press release.

URL: https://doi.org/10.48550/arXiv.2606.08912

Future Outlook

Based on these research findings, Hakuhodo DY Holdings and MESON will continue exploring the potential of Immersive Video and XR technologies to enhance customer and fan experiences. Experiences that allow audiences to feel close to performers without physically attending events hold promise for applications across live entertainment, sports, tourism, exhibitions, education, and brand experiences. Such experiences could not only serve as new lifestyle options but also act as catalysts for industrial revitalization. Both companies will continue to combine their expertise in technology, consumer insights, and experience design to research and develop new experiential value between consumers, content, and brands.

About MESON, Inc.

Founded in September 2017, MESON is a creative studio that develops use cases and user experiences for the AR era. It operates a creative studio business, conducting joint research with partner companies possessing various assets such as devices, technological infrastructure, and content.

https://www.meson.tokyo/

About CONSENT Inc.

With the mission 'Opening through design, opening design,' CONSENT is a design company that supports enterprises and government agencies. It leverages service design perspectives and techniques to assist in strategic planning and execution across design management, business development, branding, and creative development. The company also aims to widely share design knowledge, empowering individuals to adopt design thinking for problem-solving in everyday life.