2019 Winners & Shortlists

Background.

Cadillac, the luxury American carmaker, wasn’t recognized as a brand for the young and trendy. But they were about to unveil the XT4 - their youngest and trendiest car yet. We were tasked with creating this launch, highlighting their technology and design credentials, improving their brand opinion, and their relevance and consideration with this important audience. Sole-DXB – the festival of footwear, music, art and youth culture – attracts the precise audience that Cadillac wanted to talk to. With a budget of USD 450,000, 4 months of preparation, and more than 500 people involved from concept to completion, we set about designing an experience that worked for both Cadillac, Sole-DXB, and for the guest who would visit the engaging environment.

Describe the creative idea.

Cadillac’s live-experience is inspired by the vintage hotels in Venice beach and Miami. Pastel colored palaces, playful tropical patterns, and interactive installations elevated the idea of contemporary hospitality. On the way through the space, guests collected their key, socialized in the lobby and drank in Cadillac’s vintage visual language. We divided the space into ten separate areas, each with its own design language and experiences. From the Lobby to Ball Pit, we created a feeling of surprise and as guests entered the master-suite they were introduced to the all-new XT4. We accentuated the personality of XT4 through lighting, sound and projection. The Hotel stay wasn’t just about being first to experience this exciting new live-experience, but the journey there. On the top of the hotel VIP’s enjoyed a stunning rooftop deck, including a pool, a resident DJ booth and a chance to enjoy un-paralleled 180-degree views of the festival.

Describe the strategy.

The bar for success was set very high, because we needed the coolest experience at the coolest event. To stand out from some of the trendiest brands, we weren’t selling anything, rather providing an impactful and memorable experience in the physical and digital worlds. Our strategy was to surprise and delight 18 to 30-year-old influencers with a variety of tactile and engaging experiences that would resonate on social media and attract more audiences within the targeted group. We wanted an engaging, self-contained ecosystem with organic reach. Exceptional, curated, and intriguing enough to encourage online sharing and online brand awareness. Because this was such an important live experience, we also needed to engage audiences and make a big fuss around this important brand environment. Ultimately, the spatial design, core experience areas, and journey through the space were to inspire and create a memorable brand immersion.

Describe the execution.

It was a bespoke short-term, live event, consisting of a footprint of 290-square-meters, and a two-story engaging environment. Lighting, projection, digital content and haptic feedback were infused into the design narrative of the space that spoke the brand language of Cadillac. We used materials as their own point of engagement as each room had a different color palette, look and feel, and texture. Luxury materials and finishes like velvet, marble and gold transformed how the young and trendy think about automotive experiences. Iconic, vintage Miami Beach Style gave guests an in-depth understanding of the XT4’s specs and personality. Our contemporary hotel included 10-rooms imbedded with analogue and interactive experiences, while color pallet, reflective materials, and execution created the perfect combination of construction methods and design intent. Ultimately, the space integrated Cadillac’s brand ethos, creating memorable moments including, a glass swimming pool, ball pit and an engaging car show and reveal.

List the results.

We welcomed more than 3000 guests and influencers over the course of two days, collecting their details for future communication and interaction. Impact was beyond what was expected compared to footfall at previous events, denoting an increase of 287%. While data engagement and conversations increased by 682% during the two days. The increase in interest was easily visible outside the venue where over 1000 guests waited to experience Cadillac Hotel’s immersive hospitality. Lighting, projection, digital content and haptic feedback were infused into the design narrative of the space encouraging guest participation in the launch of XT4. The compelling journey through the hotel encouraged guests to share on social media, while posts reached more than 4.2 million people. While in the realm of more traditional media, the brand experience generated a PR reach of 60 million. Cadillac’s social media engagement increased by 56.2% during the event.