Stormzy, but Not? Out-of-Home Secrets
Out-of-home marketing, when done well, can be something of a marvel. Using the real world as your canvas could be likened to trying to paint on a moving rubix cube - it’s ever changing and, with each move, the outcome could be very different. Teams like Grand Visual work extensively to ensure that despite the odds and unpredictability of the great outdoors - a brand’s story will be told perfectly.
This summer, PepsiCo decided to make the virtual and physical worlds merge for an immersive concert experience. Whilst Liverpool was the primary target, the campaign would create a multi-city buzz. In collaboration with Rockstar and influential grime artist, Stormzy, the cocktail of the virtual gig and real-world interactivity would become a huge win for out-of-home marketing.
Working in collaboration with Ocean Outdoor, Talon and SmartMedia Tech, an AR token hunt invited passersby to engage to win on the spot prizes and sample the Rockstar product range in Liverpool, Manchester, Brighton and Cardiff.
In this interview, Ben Gardiner, head of client services, walks us through the efforts of Grand Visual that made this stunt one to remember. We hear about everything from the initial ideation to the task of hype-building, the innovative technology used throughout, and how things went down from an audience perspective. Here’s what Ben had to say:
LBB> Can you tell us about the initial ideation for this project?
Ben> PepsiCo is always looking to push the boundaries of OOH and the Rockstar partnership with Stormzy was a fantastic opportunity to do something innovative and exciting with the brand and Stormzy’s music platform.
We knew that we wanted to amplify the Spotify virtual gig to the next level and own real-world space that could draw people into the virtual worlds that Stormzy was performing across. Large format, interactive, immersive DOOH was a natural fit.
LBB> What role did creative DOOH play in building hype for the digital concert experience? Can you provide specific examples of how it engaged audiences?
Ben> We had teaser assets live across our key, focus cities that drove intrigue and alluded to something big coming to Liverpool and London. We had station dominations and banner media in support to build the hype and a sense that something was coming.
On the day, we had on site synced sound for the DOOH placements and further teaser assets without the countdown graphic before the actual show commenced.
Once live, we gave users on the ground the ability to choose which world they watched in real time. Users could switch between the five virtual universes and experience the same gig in totally different ways. Alongside this, we owned the Liverpool Lime Street Piazza with full scale sampling, live DJs between sets, digital AR token treasure hunts and brand ambassadors.
LBB> Could you elaborate on the innovative technology used to transport audiences into five vibrant realities during the virtual performance? How did this contribute to the overall concert experience?
Ben> Users could interact with the virtual world in two ways A) via the digital pressure pad stage in front of the stage and B) via the geo targeted AR token hunt.
The stage unit was a branded pressure pad experience that allowed users to step on different panels to select the world that played on screen. Synced with full surround audio, this was the optimal viewing experience for the user on the ground and fully immersed them in the world of Stormzy.
LBB> Collaborating with Ocean Outdoor and SmartMedia Tech for the AR token hunt sounds intriguing. Can you share how this interactive element worked and the impact it had on passersby?
Ben> Users on the ground were able to scan a QR code on screen and supporting materials in the space to launch a mobile web-based experience powered by Smart Media Tech. Upon signing up, the user was assigned a digital Rockstar Wallet that they could then collect tokens within and redeem against prizes on IRL. Geo targeted, 3D AR tokens were then dropped all around the space that users had to hunt down and collect and store.
LBB> The interactive execution on Ocean Outdoor's Liverpool Media Wall allowed users to choose the world they were experiencing. How did this feature enhance audience engagement and interaction?
Ben> A large part of the experience was to give the user the autonomy to explore and discover the virtual worlds that Stormzy was performing across, both on mobile and in the real world. One gig happening across five worlds in real time was something that had not been done before and we needed to give people the ability to choose which they wanted to be part of.
In building a destination for the gig in the real world, we were able to bring the hybrid event to life in an unexpected and engaging way that made the brand feel central to the feeling of hitting ‘play’ on their weekend and enjoyment.
DOOH is generally a highly impactful but passive medium. By adding layers of interactivity, sounds, product, and atmosphere we bought the experience off the screen and became the local conversation.
LBB> What was the strategy behind the Outernet Now Trending domination and creative on Ocean's BFI IMAX? How did it contribute to building buzz for the digital concert?
Ben> Liverpool was always the key target city for this campaign in OOH but we knew we wanted to make a splash and show up impactfully in London too. We wanted big, unmissable brand opportunities that celebrated the experience and the talent in the right ways. Working with Talon, we used two iconic placements to build even more buzz. Ocean’s BFI IMAX is one of the largest and most well-known placements in London and put Stormzy front and centre in his home city.
The Outernet was added as an excellent way of bringing the experience from Liverpool into the capital city in a similarly engaging and immersive way. The Outernet is a fantastic place to create intrigue and allow users to interact with branded content for longer in meaningful ways. It’s an exhibition space as well as being a venue steeped in musical history, so it was the ideal space to bring a new kind of Stormzy gig to life.
LBB> Lastly, can you inform us about the availability of the Rockstar "Press Play" performances for fans who may have missed the initial streaming? How can they access the concert experience after its premiere date?
Ben> Sadly, the experience has now finished. The Rockstar in-app digital concert experience starring Stormzy went live at 5pm BST on Friday July 21st and was available to stream across Spotify until August 4th. Additional versions without the ability to move between worlds are available on YouTube. For fans who are hard of hearing the concert was also available with BSL translation of Stormzy's invigorating set-list, on YouTube.
