Elf-Ray Vision Mobile App for Android and iOS

The Challenge
Holiday visits to Santa are beloved traditions—but long lines and idle wait times can drain the joy from the experience. Macerich, in collaboration with HGTV, wanted to elevate the annual Santa HQ activation by offering a more magical, tech-forward way to entertain families while they waited for their moment with Santa.

The Solution
My team developed Elf-Ray Vision, an augmented reality (AR) mobile app that allowed guests to peer into the hidden world of Santa HQ through their smartphone cameras. When activated at designated “trigger” points within the physical Santa HQ environment, the app revealed:

• A whimsical monorail system delivering gifts
• Elves busily preparing for Christmas Eve
• Interactive presents that preview what’s inside
• A charming map and guide to enhance the visitor journey
• This digital layer transformed passive waiting time into an immersive scavenger-hunt-style adventure.

Our Approach
We combined location-based visual AR triggers with a family-friendly visual design language, inspired by steampunk machinery and holiday magic from Santa's workshop. The user interface was intuitive for all ages, and the experience aligned seamlessly with HGTV’s branding.

• Technologies Used: Mobile AR SDKs, Unity, 2D/3D animation, real-time graphics integration
• User Experience: Engaging, interactive, and scalable across different retail centers

Results & Impact
• Reduced perceived wait times through gamified engagement
• Increased repeat usage of the app across Santa HQ locations nationwide
• Enhanced customer satisfaction and brand interaction for both Macerich and HGTV

Elf-Ray Vision brought the invisible world of Santa’s operations to life—making the journey to see Santa just as memorable as the destination.