For Disney, 2018 was the year of the mouse. To celebrate the world-famous animation icon and his 90th birthday, the company launched this week an interactive 360-degrees VR game to be found on their website.

To wrap the experience, Disney partnered with London-based video production company Blend Media, specialised in immersive 360-degrees videos and VR films. Although Blend Media and Disney contemplated using stock content at first, they then decided to create specific interactive videos for each era of Mickey that would sit on the website.

Disney and Blend Media’s initiative sets an example in how VR technology and immersive videos can be employed in brand expansion. The use of Mickey Mouse, the company’s most recognised icon, rests on Disney’s own roots and history and provides an immersive game experience deeply connected to the brand itself.

The game is configured as a treasure hunt, in which Disney’s iconic ‘Hidden Mickeys’ become the key to dive deeper into the experience. Each scenery represents a different era from Mickey Mouse’s history, which players are required to explore to find the mouse-shaped objects leading to the next stage.

The game consists of five videos, each showing scenes and animations drawn from the 20th century. The quest for hidden Mickeys translates into a journey across different decades and styles of animation, from Steamboat Willie’s black-and-white to the colours of the present era.