“Media Cloud”, an exhibition for o2, 2005

 

When I was 42, I was struck by lightning. It happened while I was walking along a deserted beach. After I was hit, I remember lying in the sand, staring up at the cloudy sky, thinking, “I really want to call someone,” but I couldn’t.

When o2 approached us to define their brand experience for exhibitions and trade fairs, we were all wondering: What do they actually offer? It’s neither the conversations nor the device. But how do you show a product no one can see? How does an invisible brand manifest itself?

The media cloud as symbolic big picture

Our answer was a physical picture everyone could see and relate to: the media cloud. 28,000 LED rods swayed over the heads of visitors at CeBIT 2005, a memorable sculpture that let the crowd experience communication and created a physical symbol for a previously invisible brand.

A content hub

But there was more to the media cloud than its sheer presence. It served as a giant screen for content people could interact with. They sent text messages into the cloud, which spread their words all across the exhibition. The cloud was also linked to a radio station, used exclusively for the trade show, playing Kylie Minogue and the like.

Through the media cloud, we were able to show the world what an invisible product looked like and we defined the first symbol for the cloud. A decade before cloud computing even became feasible. And after lightening, quite literally, struck.

 

Awards

ADAM Award 2005: gold, iF 2005: award, red dot 2005: red dot, ADC Deutschland 2006: gold, Clio Awards 2006: bronze, red dot 2006: red dot