BRAND DEVELOPMENT • STAND DESIGN
EXPERIENTIAL ACTIVATION
EXPERIENTIAL ACTIVATION
Liquid Repellent Nano Technology or LRNT. Doesn't exactly roll off the tongue, but this was the task faced when creating a brand in order to launch Dunkable, the latest liquid repellent nano technology product innovation from technology firm P2i launching to the OEM market at MWC Barcelona.
With nothing but a pre-existing typeface logo, the task was to create a solution that would instantly provide stand out from competitors across all brand touch points and help deliver an exhibiting space that caught the eye and attracted visitors to find out more about the new technology
BRAND ROUTE 1
The first route explored was to create a signifier for the Dunkable brand, as the LRNT itself is intangible as a product, being an invisble coating applied to the delicate components of electronic devices. Several options were explored before settling on sea creatures as they comfortably live in water as would the tech once treated with Dunkable. Firstly bio-luminescent jellyfish were favoured before being replaced by more eye friendly Siamese fighting fish with their billowing fins and tails. However, it was ultimately felt the route was too close to Apple's branding for the iPhone 6 a number of years earlier so this route was discarded.
BRAND ROUTE 2
The second route adopted an abstract approach, this time utilising vibrantly coloured light trails intended to be animated around the device when viewed on screen. One option that was explored was to turn the light into liquid within the device screen when the trails hit the edges of the device to inject further dynamism to the hero object. An updated take on the Dunkable logo was also explored but ultimately discarded by the client in favour of the original logo. Though colourful and dynamic, the second route was again discarded as it was felt that there wasn't enough connection between the branding and product itself.
BRAND ROUTE 3
For the third route bubbles were chosen as they are synonymous with the testing procedures of the technology. Bubbles of air escaping from within a device when submerged means water has infiltrated to where the damage can be done, and where Dunkable begins to protect.
A striking colour palette was chosen using dark tones to symbolise submersion combined with vibrant hues sliding across the face of the bubbles. The bubbles were then brought to life with CGI and translated across all touch points of the marketing activity.
The bubbles were at their most effective within the hero promotional video, created to not only announce the product but also showcase how the product works and the range of environmental stresses it protects against.
The video was used across all digital activity from the website to social channels but also served as a focal point for the P2i stand at MWC where it played on a large LED screen as a backdrop the practical product demonstration to prove the technology worked and was not just clever marketing.
Stand design and experiential activation
With such an important launch, it was imperative to deliver an experience that would instantly provide stand out from competitors whilst delivering an exhibiting space that caught the eye and attracted visitors to find out more about the new technology.
To attract visitors to the stand, a bold black and white colourway was adopted that separated the two sides of the stand, highlighting both Dunkable and legacy products from P2i. Vibrant and eye-catching visuals were created that translated across all touch points including a large LED screen playing the dynamic launch video with the focal point centred around a physical display of the Dunkable technology.
To prove the technology really worked and was not just clever marketing, a practical demonstration was created as a powerful signifier. Mobile devices with holes cut through the outer casing, their electronic components exposed to the elements, were treated with Dunkable and then suspended in a tank of water whilst the launch video played on the screen.
Visitors to the stand could move around the tank to see the devices and the holes in the cases and also watch the video, whilst a timer at the base of the tank displayed how long the devices had been submerged. After more than 24 hours submerged, the devices still functioned and continued playing the video.
ICONOGRAPHY
In addition to the main look and feel, illustration styles were developed to provide consistency across all the touch points of the stand bringing greater cohesion across all P2i products on display at the show. As a further signifier of the P2i’s umbrella of protection, the strapline Protected by P2i was introduced as a seal of quality and subsequently rolled out across all of P2i’s range, playing a dominant role in the stand aesthetic.
FINISHING TOUCHES
No detail was spared, with attention paid to every facet of the brand experience at the show, ensuring the brand ran through every aspect with uniforms created for the P2i staff, branded lanyards and stationery as well as ensuring branded giveaways kept the brand at the forefront of the recipient’s mind.
