Warner Music Central Europe and Accenture Song Focus on Pop Culture Zeitgeist with 'The Subtract Experience'

For the launch of the new Ed Sheeran album '-' ('Subtract') Warner Music Central Europe in collaboration with Accenture Song invited around 1,000 music enthusiasts and fans at the Lighthouse of Digital Art Berlin to experience the album up close. Using visually stunning video projections and impressions, 'The Subtract Experience' exhibition brought the artist's emotional songs to life in a unique way.

The joint goal of Warner Music Central Europe and Accenture Song was to translate the thoughts and emotions behind the new album into an iconic spatial experience. Already in the run-up Ed Sheeran announced the album as a 'gateway to his soul', which processes his very personal experiences with grief, depression, but also hope and love. Symbolic of the feeling of drowning in emotions such as loss and pain, the installation at the Lighthouse Berlin relied on the projection of water, which became visible, tangible and audible for the approximately 1,000 visitors of the 'Subtract Experience'. A unique activation that has not yet been realised for any artist in Germany.

Caroline Steinigk, senior director of marketing at Warner Music Central Europe, says, “We are thrilled to have created a unique interactive fan experience for Ed Sheeran's new album ‘-‘ ('Subtract') together with Accenture Song. In the main hall, visitors were greeted by a captivating underwater projection that immersed them in Ed's lyrics and emotional worlds. With this innovative approach, we created interactive and digital spaces to enhance the auditory content of the album and provide fans with an unforgettable experience. At the same time, we want to bring the important issue of mental health into focus."

Thomas Knüwer, creative director at Accenture Song adds, “We reduced the space to just the yellow light, bringing the sensation of the listeners to the forefront. Individual, intimate and at their own pace – with the new album via headphones as a companion through the darkness. What was important to us was a culture-driven approach, born out of the zeitgeist."

Immersive experiences offer an ideal opportunity to take the user experience to a new level – to make it much more sensual and emotional.

That feelings are the focus of this unique fan activation is only logical, because '-' is packed with them: sadness, anger, pain, despair – Ed Sheeran doesn't mince words on his new album, doesn't sugar coat anything, doesn't talk anything down. On the contrary: he accepts his feelings, no matter how dark they may be, and shows how essential it is for people to take care of their mental health as well as their physical health. At the same time, he conveys the feeling of not being alone with such feelings and gives hope. A process of change that is also visible in the experience.

With the vision of an immersive experience in mind that lets people become part of the music, making it touchable and tangible, Accenture Song, Accenture's tech-powered creative group, conceived a true live tracking experience within a few weeks with numerous 360° projectors that brought the space to life. Together, the nearly 1,000 visitors literally brought light to the darkness: each listener became a point of light in the darkness of the projected water. In this way, Ed Sheeran's music emerged as an active source of change within the experience, rather than remaining just background sound.

In the gallery, visitors could experience digital content from the artist on the screens, while in the back there was a wall that invited visitors to write down and post on notes their own feelings evoked by listening to the songs. In this way, a sea of thoughts and feelings was created, reflecting the impressions of the visitors. Another highlight was provided by the Infinity Room, a fully mirrored hall – the walls peppered with yellow light effects and song lyrics – which created another opportunity to dive deep into Ed Sheeran's thoughts and feelings and provided a unique photo backdrop for Instagram photos. Finally, at the exit of the venue, the first 200 visitors also received merch such as posters, stickers and goodie bags to remind them of this unique experience.

Before 'The Subtract Experience' in Berlin was open to the public, an exclusive pre-listing session with selected guests and creators took place the day before.