Ahead of His Dark Materials Season 2, HBO built My Daemon, an augmented reality wellness-centered app that brings the fantastical world of His Dark Materials to life. Developed for U.S. and Nordic territories, the app is free and accessible through iOS devices including iPad, iPhone, and Apple Watch.

Daemons are one of the most extraordinary features of the show; the manifestation of a person’s soul in the form of a talking animal-like companion. When the pandemic hit, fans in isolation wished more than ever to have their own daemons by their sides. HBO made that a reality, using our everyday devices to bring the daemon experience home.

During a period when maintaining mental and emotional health was crucial, a virtual daemon seemed the perfect companion to promote wellness and self-care. AR daemons utilized smartphone and smartwatch capabilities to guide and encourage users through a His Dark Materials-themed wellness journey.

The daemons of His Dark Materials are ever-present and unique to each person, so it was important for My Daemon to mirror that individuality and accessibility. Answers to an initial personality quiz determine a daemon’s look and persona, ensuring a bespoke experience tailored to users.

The app is organized into three key features: “Connect,” “Journeys,” and “Play.” Users can “Connect” with their daemon to receive recommendations, based on their mood, for wellness activities intended to improve their health of mind, body, and spirit, such as reading, taking a walk, or calling a friend.

In “Journeys,” users progress through the narrative by completing different wellness activities curated to reflect the actions and personal growth of fan-favorite characters like Lyra, Will, and Iorek.

Daemons come to life through the “Play” feature, where users can leverage world-class AR technology to capture sharable photos and videos of their daemon companions in their real-world surroundings.

At a time when Covid-19 spurred lockdowns across the globe, HBO aimed to prove that inspiring, immersive experiences were still at our fingertips and safely accessible from home.

Social listening insights revealed that daemons were one of the most talked about aspects of the first season. Knowing that HBO sought to re-engage Season 1 viewers, bringing daemons to life was the perfect catalyst.

HBO and His Dark Materials’ social accounts promoted the app release, inspiring fans to rediscover their love for the series. The My Daemon app allowed users to capture photos and videos of their daemon using world-class AR technology, easily allowing fans to share their daemon online, driving social buzz.

Throughout the airing of Season 2, the app updated to reflect the new worlds our characters explored, allowing fans to unlock new animations, new AR badges and much more.

The app was designed to layer story elements over everyday interactions with technology. Integration with Apple Health and existing wellness apps, and a simplified Apple Watch UI, ensured progress was tracked seamlessly, keeping users constantly engaged in the world of His Dark Materials.

Daemons are the hero of this app, so stunning visuals and a variety of characters that could feel personal to each user were top priorities. The team crafted a range of “voices” for each companion via alternative script responses that would best resonate with a user's personality.

The AR characters were built using Unreal Engine in ARKit. Five animal forms, four personality types, and five fur/skin variations provide eighty possible combinations. HBO worked with the show’s VFX creator to redesign and optimize assets from the show for use across the range of target mobile devices, ensuring seamless integration without compromising on quality.

Fans lit up social media with their enthusiasm and creativity, sharing photos and videos of their very own daemons, especially while watching the newest episodes. The app and fan-shared content drove over 10 million impressions as thousands of wellness activities, badges, and animations were unlocked.The My Daemon app saw over 50,000 downloads, immersing viewers further into the world of the show as they awaited Season 2. As viewers felt actively connected to their favorite adventures within the series, they also dove deeper into the larger franchise on all levels, engaging with the app, but also the show itself. My Daemon saw continued use throughout Season 2, as fans continued to interact with their daemons daily.