HBO’s Watchmen depicts a vision of a world that is both familiar to our own yet utterly like anything we have ever seen. Building on the alternate history that was established in the 1987 graphic novel, Watchmen challenges audiences to examine our past and present by holding up a slightly distorted mirror of our reality. To help viewers understand the setting of the show and its relation to the source material, HBO wanted to use a combination of experiential and outdoor placement mixed with cutting-edge augmented reality technology, through mobile devices and one-of-a-kind interactive experiences to bring the world of Watchmen into our own, and continue that immersive worldbuilding via a unique website experience that celebrated the source material’s use of supplemental materials and added to the show’s own narrative.

HBO began by teasing the presence of one of the graphic novel’s iconic characters with in-person “Manhattan Booths.” Participants stepped inside to receive a two-minute immersive experience: a short history lesson on the origin of Dr. Manhattan, then a sharable transformation into him via AR.

The team then utilized AR technology to heighten the fan experience and bring story elements from Owlships to squidfalls to masks to life with AR walls, bus shelters, and custom Instagram and Snapchat lenses, and fostered fan engagement with a SparkAR mask competition judged by creator Damon Lindelof and graphic novel illustrator Dave Gibbons.

Finally, website Peteypedia, designed to highlight the show’s alternate world access to low-fi internet, drew from character Agent Petey’s own obsessions and passions to create articles and posts that would provide context, insight, and answers the episodes did not — including one of the biggest curiosities left open-ended by the finale.