2019 Winners & Shortlists

Why is this work relevant for Brand Experience & Activation?

Cadillac Hotel was designed to transport the brand into the city’s least expected location, an urban-culture festival in the heart of Dubai. Traditionally home to the coolest kicks and international fashion magnates, our home away from home, spoke the language of the young and trendy. From the first moment guests arrive, the journey had begun. Design to be relevant and authentic, we built the ultimate hotel experience, curated down to the most minute details, from collecting your key at reception, to socializing on the terrace, and experiencing the interactive areas, we amplified Cadillac’s brand to a contemporary group.

Background

Cadillac, the luxury American carmaker, wasn’t recognized as a brand for the young and trendy. But they were about to unveil the brand in a new and dynamic way, changing how guests think about automotive, brand experiences. At the heart of the hotel was a contemporary handshake; one which introduced XT4 – their trendiest car yet and created meaningful engagement. We were tasked with creating an automotive launch, highlighting their technology and design credentials, improving their brand opinion, and their relevance with this discerning audience. The context of the brand experience was Sole-DXB – the festival of footwear, music, art and youth culture – attracting the precise audience that Cadillac wanted to talk to. We knew we needed to be there, we just needed to convince them to listen. Ultimately, the language of the young and trendy is vibrant, engaging and authentic, so we got to work.

Describe the creative idea.

In line with “Miami Vibes”, the theme of the festival, we developed a contemporary take on the traditional hotel journey. On the way through the space, guests collected their key, socialized in the lobby and drank in Cadillac’s vintage visual language; one imbued with vibrant colors, captivating scenography and spaces that longed to be discovered. The experiential narrative welcomed guests into the hotel to foster an engaging experience – created for and by young people. This culminated in the reveal of the all-new Cadillac XT4 in the heart of the hotel. With interactive areas and tactile installations, the Hotel stay wasn’t just about being the first to experience this exciting new vehicle, but rather the journey there. The four introductory spaces were built around showing off the vehicle’s most important features, attributes and personality; an automotive temperament that is fun, intelligent, contemporary, and engaging.

Describe the strategy.

The strategy took shape by understanding the environment in which the experience would take place, Sole-DXB. To stand out from some of the trendiest brands, we focused more on providing an impactful and memorable car launch in the physical and digital space. 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 attracting more audiences. Introductory spaces reflected the automotive personality of the XT4; one which is curated and intriguing. We treated the XT4 as the host of the hotel and gave it the master-suite. It was about designing the journey to that room, using patterns, colors and materials that spoke to Miami Beach in the 60’s. Because this was such an important vehicle launch, we also needed to engage audiences and make a big fuss by increasing online sharing and online brand awareness.

Describe the execution

It was a bespoke short-term, installation, consisting of a footprint of 290-square-meters, a two-story interactive environment. Lighting, projection, digital content and haptic feedback were infused into the design narrative of the space that spoke to 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 XT4’s specs and personality before the reveal. 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. The space integrated Cadillac’s playful brand ethos, creating memorable moments including, a glass swimming pool, ball pit and an immersive car show.

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.