Powered by Windows 7, Firm’s Massive, Multi-Touch Display Also to Serve as Information Hub of Event, Delivering Instant Access to Complete Festival Program, 3D Maps and Tools to Dynamically Connect With Other Attendees
CANNES, France – Schematic, a WPP company, unveiled the future of experiential, digital marketing with the debut of two, large-scale branded “Touchwall” experiences created in partnership with Nokia and Dell. Demoing Monday through Friday from 3:10 – 3:35 PM Central European Time on Schematic’s massive 12 foot long by five-foot high interactive Touchwall, the experiences showcase how brands can utilize the Touchwall technology platform to connect with consumers in busy public environments. The Touchwall will also be serving as the information hub of the event, allowing festival delegates to instantly access the complete show program, view 3D maps of the surrounding area, find details on local establishments and share information with other delegates.
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Following its introduction at last year’s Cannes festival – where it served as an information resource – the high-definition, multi-user Touchwall has been updated using Windows 7 and returns to Cannes as a faster, more efficient technology platform. Designed both as an information resource and to demonstrate the brand possibilities of the digital-out-of-home category, the Touchwall will be centrally located on Level 1 of the Palais des Festivals, between the entrances to Debussy Theater and Grand Auditorium.
The experience begins when an attendee places his or her event badge against the Touchwall. Equipped with an RFID reader, the Touchwall recognizes delegates through RFID tags embedded in the conference badges. Once the badge is authenticated, the Touchwall provides a personalized workspace on the display, from which users can then navigate the event. Multiple people can work side by side, creating a productive and fun environment for sharing information and ideas.
“In an era of extreme audience fragmentation, the digital-out-of-home category stands out as one of the few platforms that can reach a truly mass audience in a meaningful way,” said Trevor Kaufman, CEO of Schematic. “At Cannes Lions, we’re using the Touchwall to illustrate how brands can utilize this channel to provide significant value to consumers in an interactive manner that also keeps the brand top of mind. By partnering with Microsoft to develop this new generation Touchwall on the Windows 7 platform, we’ve been able to add a significant boost to its overall capabilities.”
Providing a fully immersive experience, the proprietary Touchwall technology was developed by Schematic from the ground up. Artfully combining spatial navigation design, multiple database coordination and a pristine and intuitive user interface, the Touchwall leverages Schematic’s deep expertise in software development and user interface design. To further enhance the Dell and Nokia Touchwall experiences, Schematic turned to music production company Man Made Music, headed by industry pioneer Joel Beckerman to create distinctive sonic branding for each demo. Ranked third in Fast Company’s 2010 list of most innovative music firms, Man Made has also executed sonic branding assignments for CNBC, Virgin Mobile and Reuters.
“With the Cannes Touchwall, Schematic continues its tradition of creating beautiful, elegant and compelling experiences that leverage the latest Microsoft technologies,” said Kevin Gallo, general manager of Client Platform Management at Microsoft Corp. “By using technologies like Windows Media Center, Microsoft Surface, Microsoft Silverlight and Windows Presentation Foundation, Schematic has shown through years of partnership how to take powerful new Microsoft technologies and create great experiences.”
“The response to Schematic’s Touchwall at last year’s festival was extremely positive and we are pleased to be including it again this year,” said Philip Thomas, CEO of the Cannes Lions International Advertising Festival. “The technology is simply amazing and we believe it represents a strong example of the next level of digital engagement developing within our industry.”
About Schematic
Schematic, a WPP company, creates powerful interactive experiences for the world’s largest brands. Servicing Fortune 1000 companies including Target, Nokia, Comcast, NBC, Dell, and Microsoft, the firm develops user-focused digital marketing and innovation solutions that help clients build brands and delight customers across channels. Recognized by both Advertising Age and AdWeek as one of the industry’s most innovative firms, Schematic is headquartered in New York. For more information, please visit http://www.schematic.com.
