Aura
A promise of regeneration in just one day.
Description
The project was born to stimulate a reflection on the value of the present time, to promote a positive approach to aging and encourage a more balanced and satisfying perspective on life, in an era in which demographic projections indicate the aging of the population and low birth rates in Western countries. The message that we intend to communicate becomes particularly relevant by highlighting the need to rethink our relationship with time and reevaluate the importance of the “here and now”, rather than obsessively focusing on prolonging life. Those intentions are translated into the creation of a product and a ritual with the ability to erase the signs of time and extend lifespan. Through the dedicated website, users can purchase this magical object called Aura, learn more about its capabilities and receive it at home in a box, accompanied by an explenatory flyer to perform the ritual of regaining youth. The proposed ritual, although apparently effective, actually has no impact on the physiology of aging and this deliberately provocative element serves to shift attention from the search for eternal youth to the valorization of the present moment. We live in a society that often fears and denies aging, seeing it as a loss rather than as a natural and precious phase of life. Aura challenges this vision, suggesting that true wealth lies in the ability to appreciate every moment and live fully and consciously. The design path included the choice of a common object full of symbolism as an egg to represent Aura, the construction of a visual identity and a fantastic narrative around this, which attributes to it the ability to confer longevity. All this to involve users in a compelling and credible experience, despite being beyond everyday reality, and lead them to have complete confidence in its effectiveness. The project includes the use of AR technology offered by a platform called Aryel, which allows the creation of augmented reality content to make the user experience interactive and immersive. Aura’s surface features seven stamps depicting the triggers that are the protagonists of the experience usable through Aryel and corresponde to the phases of the ritual. If those stamps are scanned with the smartphone, they allow to view an animation of the illustration associated with the phase of the ritual and through the “Ascolta” button it’s possible to hear the voice of the narrator explaining that specific point of the ritual. After capturing attention with the incredible results promised by Aura, at the end of the ritual the user is directed to a second web page developed to focus attention on the pro-aging approach, where inspirational advices, content such as motivational TEDx or documentaries are offered. Aura fits into a context in which the growing proportion of elderly compared to young people requires a rethinking of social policies and intergenerational dynamics, as a catalyst of awareness that pushes us to reflect on how we can live in a more authentic and meaningful way, embracing all stages of life. In an aging world, rather than trying to escape time and deny aging, the project invites to embrace it, to live every moment with fullness and gratitude.
