Alternate reality games (ARG) and fandom involvement in Taylor Swift’s narrative universe

Abstract

Alternate reality games, or ARGs (Alternate Reality Games), are fragmented, complex, and gamified narratives (Rojas, 2020) that combine elements of the real world and virtual elements to create an immersive and highly participatory game experience (Piñeiro-Otero & Costa, 2015). This typology derives from audiovisual, interactive, and transmedia narratives that have developed “strategies and mechanisms to encourage collaboration, participation, and involvement of audiences” (Gifreu, 2017, p. 7). In this context, the manuscript aims to investigate the relationship between the narrative universe of the American singer Taylor Swift and alternate reality games (ARGs). This is done to determine which elements of this interactive storytelling technique are integrated into the 360º communication strategy and the construction of the Swift universe and are associated with the personal brand of one of the most influential and popular artists in the music and entertainment industry today.

El estudio tiene el objetivo de determinar qué elementos de los juegos de realidad alterna (ARG) de la cantante Taylor Swift se integran en su estrategia de comunicación y su universo narrativo. Para ello, se plantea detectar las características que poseen los ARG según la literatura especializada y extrapolar estas variables del universo Swift como modelo de éxito de ARG aplicable a marcas comerciales. Los resultados demuestran que el ARG cumple con 19/20 características definidas y que su estrategia de comunicación pivota en un universo narrativo que se ha expandido en multitud de plataformas y redes durante años.