The Ford Mustang was built in Detroit, introduced to the world in New York and, according to a new exhibit on the border of downtown and Boyle Heights, romanticized by Los Angeles. <\/p>\n
Part advertisement, part history lesson and part playground, \u201cAmerican Icon: A Mustang Immersive Experience\u201d uses theme park-inspired trappings to celebrate a work of mechanical artistry. The car \u2014 first introduced in 1964 at the New York World\u2019s Fair as a sporty, compact coup with just a little bit of an edge \u2014 is given a hero\u2019s treatment. Inside the warehouse-like Ace Mission Studios, \u201cAmerican Icon\u201d tracks the Mustang\u2019s evolution from the suburban garage to the race track, and uses projections and a 4D theater experience to transform what could have been a showroom experience into something built more for a video game. <\/p>\n
With installations focused on the fabled, traffic-free, open road \u201cfreedom\u201d that car manufacturers like to so often tout, there\u2019s something quaintly old fashioned here. The Mustang is presented as a car for young couples on the go, optimistically envisioning an America when home and car ownership were a given. <\/p>\n
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Visitors watch an immersive 4D short film. <\/p>\n
(Ronaldo Bolanos\/Los Angeles Times)<\/p>\n
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The seats inside a 4D theater vibrate and feature water and scent effects. <\/p>\n
(Ronaldo Bolanos \/ Los Angeles Times)<\/p>\n
In that sense, it\u2019s a car enthusiast\u2019s fantasy. But can it inspire a new generation of car dreamers, especially at a time when some data indicates younger audiences may be holding off on a car purchase?<\/p>\n
While no cars are for sale at \u201cAmerican Icon\u201d \u2014 there is an assortment of specially branded Mustang merch, however, much of it nostalgically focused on 1964 \u2014 such an immersive endeavor makes sense, says researcher Jason Jordhamo, a marketing director for Polk Automotive Solutions from S&P Global Mobility. Enticing audiences today, he says, involves a more personal touch than a big TV ad spend or a sponsorship deal. <\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s less time in the dealership,\u201d Jordhamo says of reaching younger consumers, especially Gen Z. \u201cThose traditional things have to be let go of.\u201d<\/p>\n
Jordhamo notes that new vehicle registration<\/a> among those aged 18-34 has dipped about 2% in recent years. Anecdotally, he cites a multitude of factors, ranging from growing environmental consciousness \u2014 hybrids and electric vehicles are big with the age bracket \u2014 to the ease of rideshare, especially in major cities. <\/p>\n But there are other causes for concern. \u201cThere\u2019s a lot of things that are challenging in that space,\u201d Jordhamo says. \u201cOne is affordability, which is huge. The cost for purchasing a vehicle \u2014 the monthly costs \u2014 have gone up 30% since the beginning of this decade. And the average loan payment nationally has been over $750 all calendar year.\u201d<\/p>\n With the \u201cPick Your Pony\u201d interactive feature, guests can listen to different Mustang engine sounds. <\/p>\n (Ronaldo Bolanos \/ Los Angeles Times)<\/p>\n Immersive experiences, which typically denote either some level of participation on the part of the guest or attempt to envelope the attendee in all-encompassing imagery, are common in Hollywood and often seen as a way of reaching a younger consumer weaned on interactive entertainment. They\u2019ve been utilized heavily by studios such as Netflix for pop-ups themed to \u201cArcane<\/a>,\u201d \u201cSquid Game<\/a>\u201d and more, but brands and personalities as varied as the Catholic Church<\/a>, McDonald\u2019s<\/a> and even Mariah Carey<\/a> have gotten in on the experiential action. Car companies, too, have dabbled, be it partnering with video game franchises such as \u201cGran Turismo\u201d or \u201cRocket League\u201d or, as Ford already does, offering real-life experiences such as off-roading<\/a> in a Bronco at various U.S. locales. <\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s more than just steel and rubber,\u201d says Ford\u2019s communications director Mike Levine when asked why Mustang was pegged for such an experience. \u201cMustang\u2019s impact on America should be appreciated like an art exhibit.\u201d<\/p>\n Seated before a crisply, powdered blue 1965 Mustang on a turntable, the exhibit\u2019s first major room comes alive to simulate movement as the surrounding four walls use projections to place us on idealized versions of Venice Beach and Route 66. The glimmering rhythm of Martha and the Vandellas\u2019 \u201cNowhere to Run\u201d sets the tone as visions of cruise culture innocence aim to make us feel as if we\u2019re on a ride through Southern California. All that\u2019s missing to complete the mood is someone to deliver us a milkshake.<\/p>\n Several generations of Mustangs are projected behind a real vehicle. <\/p>\n (Ronaldo Bolanos \/ Los Angeles Times)<\/p>\n <\/p>\n
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