Virtual Brand Touchpoint for international location technology firm

In 2020, the way we lived, worked, and interacted was turned upside down. Events and trade fairs, previously based on meeting, presenting, and communicating in physical space, were forced to find new formats or cancel their activities altogether.

The format of CES 2021 or whether it would even take place remained unclear for much of 2020. Together with our partner Jack Morton, and in close cooperation with HERE, we conceived of and designed an adaptive approach to content. This ensured that all ideas and solutions would work equally well for a traditional trade fair event as well as an online or hybrid event.

The digital content to be designed for CES 2021 had to be flexible and function on multiple devices – from a Reality Core within a brand pavilion, to a laptop, to a smartphone. The overall concept also needed to work with the possibility of guidance from both on-site and remote brand ambassadors.

As part of this dynamic process, we created engaging storylines with eye-catching, approachable graphic, motion, and UX design in cooperation with Bitteschön.tv. We also took care of front- and backend development as well as deployment and hosting.

The decision was finally made that CES 2021 would be held as an exclusively digital event. Our adaptive approach enabled HERE to create a compelling and informative representation of their brand as part of their presence within the pre-defined CES 2021 website structure.

With a custom software solution and a powerful remote server infrastructure, we ensured flawless customer interaction throughout the event.

Taking the visual language we developed over the past years to the next level, we designed a 3D miniature world in which HERE products and services are encountered as part of relatable narratives. The deep and varied HERE portfolio was illustrated in a fun, captivating, and informative way that established a brand-consistent look across a variety of use-cases.

With our deep understanding of the subject matter and our story-telling experience, we were able transform complex processes into clear visuals and bite-sized layers of information.

This complex visual environment was custom built and programmed in Unreal Engine. With all expertise under one roof, we could achieve a smooth development process in close collaboration with the client.

A clear structure and straight forward UX design allows intuitive and dynamic handling of the application.

Our adaptive approach empowered HERE to film product pitches in preparation for CES 2021 at a Berlin studio using a large-scale LED wall. Experimentation with novel presentation formats for the recordings of their brand ambassadors’ presentations were possible thanks to the flexibility of the concept.

Tickets to CES 2021 granted entrance to a special online platform from where users could “visit” brands and companys. During the event, visitors had two options to learn about HERE’s innovations: the sessions and the individual meetings.

In the sessions, the pre-produced pitch videos were streamed live via the CES platform, according to a fixed schedule. This linear communication channel was aimed at the general audience and tackled the most important topics in compact presentations.

For individual and detailed exchange, visitors could also schedule remote meetings. In this case, the 3D environment was navigated in realtime by a brand ambassador who shared his or her screen via a third party conferencing platform. The information landscape not only served as a tool to illustrate and structure pitches but also provided direct access to all information media available on the portfolio.

To guarantee a smooth and high-quality experience, we took care of setting up the powerful streaming servers. During CES, we monitored its performance and adjusted all parameters as needed.

Following the successful event, the concept was rolled out to the latest update of the Sales App. With this tool, brand ambassadors have access to the presentation infrastructure customized for independent client interaction. The Sales App is adjusted to multiple usage scenarios, from remote presentations via web conferencing to client meetings in person.