This Startup from Tirunelveli Was Behind Vijay's G.O.A.T Viral Face-Swap Sensation!
When the much-anticipated Ilayathalapathy Vijay movie, GOAT, hit the screens, it wasn’t just Vijay’s star power that captured fans' attention. Alongside the blockbuster release, an innovative face-swap feature was launched, allowing fans to digitally place themselves next to Vijay in iconic scenes from the film. This unique experience became an instant sensation, flooding social media with posts from excited fans. You might’ve even seen your friends and family sharing a poster of themselves riding a motorbike with Vijay.
Behind this creative and viral marketing campaign is a young tech company called Heyareweare Technologies. It is a company that provides augmented reality (AR), virtual reality (VR), and artificial intelligence services to businesses and individuals. And what makes their story even more interesting is that the team behind this company hails from Tirunelveli, a small city in Tamil Nadu. Despite being relatively new, this group of passionate individuals is already showing how powerful tech can be in entertainment.
Team Heyareweare Technologies with Director Venkat prabhu
Heyareweare’s Journey: From Idea to Execution:
Heyareweare Technologies was founded in January 2023 by Aswin Muthuram, the CEO, and Harries Pandi, the CTO.
Harries Pandi, CTO of Heyareweare Techonologies
In an exclusive conversation, Aswin shared how Heyareweare Technologies was his third business idea, and how it all started with a deep passion for technology.
One of his early ventures, an e-commerce platform called dartko, aimed to make daily essentials accessible during the COVID-19 pandemic. Aswin had no clear idea of how to get the platform in front of people. In his early attempt, he ran online advertisements and distributed physical pamphlets, but it ended up being more of a loss than a success. After a few months, he had to shut down the platform.
Then, he briefly considered a home automation product but abandoned the idea before it materialized. While these ventures didn’t work out, they taught him valuable business lessons. During this time, Aswin was also introduced to AR and VR technologies, which piqued his interest. He started freelancing with friends, and soon enough, he realized the potential of AR/VR for marketing and other applications in various industries. That’s when the idea for Heyareweare Technologies was born.
Heyareweare’s First Breakthrough: LEO Movie AR Experience
As the team began to think about how they could bring AR to different industries, the LEO movie, starring Vijay, was gearing up for release. Aswin and his team decided to pitch an idea to Ram Cinemas in Tirunelveli: an AR experience where fans could scan a QR code, load a website, and take a picture standing next to an augmented version of Vijay. The theatre liked the idea, and the project was a hit—over 20,000 people used the feature to take snaps with Vijay.
This project turned out to be a significant breakthrough for Heyareweare. It showed them the kind of impact their technology could have, and it opened the doors to more possibilities.
The Big Leap: Pitching to AGS Entertainment for GOAT
With the success of the LEO campaign under their belt—where their AR project was featured in just one theatre in Tirunelveli—the team set their sights on something bigger. They wanted to bring their ideas to AGS Entertainment, the production company behind GOAT, and scale their services for a statewide campaign, executing the concept across all of Tamil Nadu.
But getting into AGS wasn’t easy. Without any direct contacts at the production company, the Heyareweare team had to meet with multiple people across different levels of the company’s hierarchy, pitching their vision to each one. But eventually, they managed to get through and present their ideas to the right people.
The production team welcomed their idea to the table. After several rounds of brainstorming and planning, Heyareweare narrowed down 8-9 different ideas to four key features, each powered by AR, VR, and AI technology.
The Viral Reach of GOAT’s Campaign
On the night before GOAT was released, the Hop on a Ride with GOAT feature went live at 10 PM. Within just five minutes, the surge in traffic caused the website to crash due to overwhelming demand. The team worked late into the night, until 5 AM, to resolve the issue and make sure fans could use the feature without any glitches.
The results were impressive. In just five days, the Snap Built Code Filter was used by over 1 lakh+ people. The Face Swap feature, which went viral on social media, attracted over 2 million visits, with 7 lakh+ fans using the feature. It was a massive success for both the film and the tech team behind the scenes.
The collaboration with AGS Entertainment was a pivotal moment for the company, as it gave them exposure and credibility, opening doors to even more opportunities.
What’s Next for Heyareweare?
Since the GOAT project, Heyareweare has seen its work gain a lot of attention. They currently have over 10+ projects lined up. One such notable collaboration, which took place before GOAT, was with AVR Jewellers for their Kumarikandam 2.0 campaign. Heyareweare created an AR experience that allowed users to scan a newspaper ad and trigger a video, adding a new layer of interactivity to a traditional medium.
When talking about the future, Aswin shares his vision for how technologies like AR, VR, and AI will become everyday tools, much like smartphones are today. With the rise of devices like Apple Vision and Meta Quest, he believes immersive experiences are the next big shift. Heyareweare aims to democratize these technologies, making them accessible for businesses and individuals alike.
Conclusion: Just Getting Started
What started as a small idea between friends has quickly grown into something much bigger. Tech with young innovators brings a fresh perspective to the table, and Heyareweare Technologies is proving just that. With a growing portfolio of exciting projects and a clear vision for the future, this young team is one to watch in the world of AR, VR, and AI.
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