Case Study: 2019 Hyundai New York Auto Show
An innovative approach for an automotive press conference featuring augmented reality + live motion capture to elevate the Global Debut and North American Reveal of Hyundai’s two newest vehicles at the 2019 New York International Autoshow.
MBA was challenged by Hyundai to invigorate the traditional automotive press conference and elevate their products and messaging in NYC to rise above and stand out amongst 25+ other media events in the same venue.
MBA’s mandate was to breathe new life into an aging format while creating a stage and media event capable of revealing two vehicles with very unique personalities (one sleek sedan and one micro SUV), targeting two very different demographics during a single 25 minute press conference. Our talented team embraced this task and found a solution that not only elevated Hyundai above the sea of noise at the NYIAS for the media in attendance but also for their global live stream.
Initial Stage Design Concept:
The above staging concept was our initial attempt at solving how to incorporate augmented reality into a large live event without requiring the audience to wear a headset or view the event through their small phone screens. A large bi-parting LED screen proved to be not possible due to rigging and load-in constraints.
This staging concept was a different study in how two static vehicle reveals could happen on the same stage while giving each vehicle its own moment in the spotlight during the press conference.
Creative Exploration in MBA Studio:
Our team of artists and engineers blended various cutting-edge technologies (augmented reality, motion capture + real-time particle generation) over a few weeks of exploration and experimentation in our studio’s stage. This creative exploration period provided the foundation and inspiration for the groundbreaking media event that MBA would successfully execute in April 2019 at the New York International Auto Show.
After the client decided the augmented reveal environment should be more urban to align with marketing efforts, MBA began to adapt the concept to reflect a more “Urban Vibe.”
Concept Pre-Visualization:
The original concept for the Global Reveal of the Hyundai Venue was to transform the convention center into an Urban Jungle through the use of Augmented Reality.
Here is the resulting “Urban Vibe” style frame that ultimately was developed to become the reveal concept for the Global Reveal.