2020/2021 Winners & Shortlists

INFINITI QX80 MIXED RELITY EXPERIENCE

BrandINFINITI ME
Product/ServiceAUTOMOTIVE
EntrantMCH GLOBAL Dubai, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES
CategoryTouchpoint Technology & Tech-led Brand Experience
Idea Creation MCH GLOBAL Dubai, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES

Why is this work relevant for Brand Experience & Activation?

In the crowded space of storytelling, brands are competing to capture the attention of their consumers. Here, technology step-in to differentiate and incentivize, but what good is technology when you can’t see it or experience it firsthand. Infiniti faced the same predicament and created their ‘Future Retail Strategy; where the product goes to the consumer and luxury is not an aspirational feeling but rather a natural choice. With this in mind, we took upon the challenge to simplify the technology jargon into an immersive brand experience, essentially reimagining how Infiniti tells their story to their customers in the UAE.

Background

For the automotive sector, dealerships, test drives and car displays are the only mediums to interact with audiences, whereas most buyers are found researching models and seeking deals online, which highlights an obvious disconnect. Infiniti had recently launched the QX80, their most advanced model yet, however they felt that consumers were not able to fully understand or appreciate the technological nuances of this car. With an endeavor to fix this gap, we designed a technology driven engagement for the QX80, that moves away from the traditional showroom interaction and takes a futurist view of connecting a buyer with their car. The brief required creating an experience that would deliver on three clear objectives. Firstly, designing a brand environment that is authentic and innovative. Secondly, devising an activation that highlights the actual product. Lastly, delivering a customer focused solution where QX80 can be experienced in an entirely new realm.

Describe the creative idea (20% of vote)

Infiniti wanted to go to market with an enhanced proposition for their audiences. We took Infiniti’s newest and most advanced model yet, the QX80 and created a never seen before Mixed Reality experience, to be showcased at one of the leading malls in the UAE. Using Magic Leap glasses, audiences were able to experience features of the QX80 with digital interventions made onto the physical car on display. The goal was to engage visitors and consumers at every level; physical, emotional and sensorial. The story was further enhanced by creating a three-part journey for the audiences. Part one highlighted 5 exterior features of the QX80, with live animations and interactive moments. Part two highlighted 2 interior features of the QX80 with options and personalization. Part three placed the visitor in the driving seat to experience Infiniti’s Drive Assist Technologies firsthand, with a guided narrative, as if they were physically driving.

Describe the strategy (20% of vote)

After an in-depth analysis of the audiences, learnings pointed towards specific target groups some of which were pre-identified Infiniti clients and some newer unexpected interest groups. Our strategy thus evolved with a two-pronged approach; firstly, to focus on growing families both of Arab and Indian decent to deliver to their specific needs, and secondly, to attract individual buyers and tech-savvy seekers with a discerning sensibility of luxury. Inspired by the elegance engineering and the confidence of the Infiniti Q-series, the experience became the first of it's kind. A pop-up in the middle east where; customization, mixed reality, smart test drives and an online interface were all brought together into a connected seamless experience. The idea was to create different layers of interaction throughout the experience such that visitors with varying levels of interest and awareness could engage and navigate towards a conversion.

Describe the execution (30% of vote)

With a development time of less than 5 months, we took upon the turnkey conceptualization and implementation of the Mixed Reality Experience. The first phase of development was designing a custom-made brand focused interface for the QX80, where visitors could view iconic features and technological aspects of the car. The second phase involved the conceptualization of the consumer journey using Magic Leap glasses and guided narration. The ingenuity of the experience came from animations over-laid onto the vehicle, shown via Magic Leap, that would otherwise never be visible to the naked eye. At any stage in the Mixed Reality Experience, visitors were able to navigate further or backwards, book a test drive, replay the narration, as well as touch and feel the car, offering complete freedom to the customer. The Pop-up was placed in the UAE, at Sahara Centre and welcomed audiences of all age groups.

List the results (30% of vote)

The experience was housed within a 80 square metres stand, for a period of 3 days and saw close to 1000 visitors. The activation presented a strong case for future retail concepts by capturing 75 comprehensive leads, whereas in comparison 3 days in a dealership would typically deliver 10 leads. The experience is estimated to have generated AED 100,000 in ad value. The Infiniti brand team also saw the international potential of the experience; thus, we are currently exploring opportunities of possibly taking the Mixed Reality interaction to other target markets within China and USA, as well as creating a portable version for Infiniti Dealerships. From a consumer perspective we saw a shift in the mindset, whereby visitors were welcoming of the digital possibilities available throughout the experience. They were keen to learn more, evaluate options and also invest time in discovering a point of connection with the Infiniti brand.

Credits

Name Company Role
Tieske Hendriks MCH GLOBAL Team Management
Thalia De Sa MCH GLOBAL Project Manager
Vivian Perez MCH GLOBAL Art Direction / Content Development
Ansu Thomas MCH GLOBAL Video Production / Animation Editor
Paula Mangueira MCH GLOBAL Management and Support
Saheba Sodhi MCH GLOBAL Management and Support