frankfurt | SunMatrix Ramble

IAA 2011: Walk of Innovations

I was at the IAA 2011 this Saturday, and I got a glimpse of our automobile future. It felt awe-inspiring. Almost all electric. Fully computerized. Interactive dashboards and even window displays.

But while I looked at the cars with amazement, I kept a close look out for innovative implementations of “today’s” cutting-edge technologies. I was curious to see how car makers use touch displays, social media, QR codes, and augmented reality to engage visitors at such a massive event.

Here, augmented reality means a phone-triggered digital layer added on top of a physical object or display.

Here is a quick photo report of what I found interesting and innovative at the show.

Volkswagen

The Volkswagen BlueMotion technology was presented through a huge motion-based interactive display. Visitors did not need to touch the display. They used various gestures to navigate through the menu options.

Renault

Visitors used the motion-based interactive display to learn more about the Renault Twingo. They could also change the colors of the model and watch demo videos.

Hyundai

The main draw at the Hyundai stall was the “Dream of Sand” show by Svetlana Goncharenko and Natalya Netselya, who created vivid pictures in real time using sand.

Hyundai was also one of the only car brands trying to connect the stand with Facebook. Visitors needed to “Like” the Facebook page in order to be part of a lucky draw that gave them a chance to drive a Hyundai dream car. Important details like the fan page URL and contest information were not visible, or not easily accessible.

Skoda

Skoda gave visitors augmented reality pins. The Junaio AR app was used to scan the pin and activate the augmented reality. Most of the pins were gone by the time I got there, so I scanned the info card instead. It did not trigger the 3D surprises that the pins would, but it did offer a set of regional videos.

Citroën

At the Citroën Eco Drive simulator, visitors could take the car for a 3D test drive.

iPads were used by many car manufacturers to interactively share model specifications, videos, brochures, and to take automated enquiries from high-potential buyers.

Opel

Opel used Microsoft Surface technology to share information about its cars. This was my first live experience with Surface. It worked much like the Apple touch interface, even though it did not feel as sensitive and smooth.

Ford

Ford, like Citroen and Volvo, set up a car simulator at its stand.

They also engaged visitors with a small “collect the stamps” game. The game made visitors go to each section of the Ford stand, correctly answer some easy questions related to the car and technology, collect the stamps, and get Ford-branded water bottles. Visitors could also play further and win two tickets for the UEFA Champions League Final in 2012.

Chevrolet

Visitors could scan the QR code on the floor to view a short Chevrolet Volt specs video.

Volvo

The Volvo Open 70 Simulator gave visitors a first-hand experience of what the Volvo sailing team goes through when they go sailing in the ocean.

On taking the ride I slid steeply from left to right on the seat. There was also non-stop wind blowing on my head, with regular splashes of water. It created a strong 4D-style experience. By 4D-style, I mean the simulator added physical effects like motion, wind, and water to the visual ride.

Visitors could also try to hoist a virtual sail. On my second attempt I hoisted the sail in 12.3 seconds. The current record was set at 9.03 seconds by one of the previous visitors.

Mini Cooper

I really enjoyed visiting the Mini Cooper stand. The displays were amazing. A beautiful Mini surrounded by a bright circular display appeared as one entered the stand.

Minis in multiple colors were on display with various digital displays across the walls.

They also showcased their new iPhone app for the car, positioned as the intelligent link between the driver and the Mini. The app claimed to help the driver perfect a more sporty and precise driving style.

I also spotted Lancia, Fiat, and Alfa Romeo promoting their iPhone apps via simple leaflets.

A souvenirs section greeted visitors on the first floor of the stand.

In the end I got to drive my own Mini!

BMW

The BMW stand was the biggest in terms of size and digital displays. Two of the most stunning concept cars from IAA were here. The car from the photo above appears in the Hollywood blockbuster “Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol.”

At the BMW i3 Concept city car area, I found an interactive telescope through which I could watch videos and product demos. To select a video, I had to move the telescope around and point it at what I wanted to play.

Why the most memorable stands worked

The strongest activations turned product messaging into something visitors could do, not just watch. That worked because a gesture, a simulator ride, a scan, or a simple challenge gave the innovation a clearer mental hook and made the brand easier to remember after the show.

Extractable takeaway: At live events, technology earns its keep when it simplifies the story into one obvious action that visitors can try for themselves.

At large automotive trade shows, brands win attention by turning passive footfall into small, guided acts of participation.

The real question is not whether a stand looks futuristic, but whether the technology gives visitors a clear reason to interact, learn, and remember.

The best stands used technology as participation, not decoration.

Closing note from the show floor

I spent seven hours at IAA. It was totally awesome. The only car stalls I could not visit were those of Mercedes and Audi. There were simply too many people crowding those stands, and if I had waited, I would have missed at least half of what else I saw during my time there.

I look forward to the next Internationale Automobil Ausstellung in two years. Till then, this is Sunil signing off from IAA 2011.

What event teams can steal from IAA 2011

Make innovation physical. The strongest stands gave visitors something to do, whether that meant gesturing at a screen, taking a simulator ride, scanning a code, or testing a device.
Reward exploration. Ford’s stamp mechanic turned stand navigation into a simple game with a visible payoff.
Remove friction from participation. When key details are hard to find, as with Hyundai’s Facebook activation, the idea loses force.

A few fast answers before you act

What is this post?

A photo report of IAA 2011, focused on practical uses of touch, motion control, social mechanics, QR codes, and augmented reality on brand stands.

What is the single strongest engagement pattern across stands?

Interactive interfaces that pull visitors into exploration. Motion-based screens, simulators, and hands-on experiences that create a reason to stay.

Which activations stand out most?

Volkswagen’s gesture-based BlueMotion display. Volvo’s Open 70 sailing simulator with wind and water. Ford’s stamp-collection game that drives exploration.

Where does mobile show up most clearly?

Brands promote iPhone apps via leaflets and app demos, plus iPads used widely for specs, videos, and lead capture.

What is the practical takeaway for event experience design?

If you want people to engage at scale, make the interaction obvious, physical, and rewarding. Then make the next step easy to find.

Air Swimmers: Flying Shark and Clownfish

Have you ever seen a fish that can swim in the air with smooth, life-like motion. Air Swimmers is a US-based company that developed these remote controlled, helium-filled flying fish.

They are designed for indoor fun even in small rooms. Air Swimmers describes them as running on four AAA batteries, one in the body and three in the controller, with up, down and 360 degree turning control.

How it works

The mechanism is lighter-than-air buoyancy plus simple steering controls. The helium does the lifting. The controller provides direction and small adjustments that make the movement read as “swimming” rather than “flying”. The technology fades into the background, and the illusion becomes the product.

In consumer retail for playful tech products, the fastest path from curiosity to purchase is a demo that looks impossible at first glance, but becomes obvious after ten seconds of watching it move.

The real question is how quickly your demo turns “that can’t be real” into “I want to try that”.

Lead with the impossible-looking motion first, and let the explanation come second.

Why it lands

It delivers a clean emotional sequence. Surprise first. Then control. The viewer sees it drift like a creature, then realises someone is steering it with precision. Because buoyancy handles the lift, small steering inputs read as effortless, which makes the motion feel alive and shareable. That makes it instantly shareable because the value is visible without narration or specs.

Extractable takeaway: If your product’s value is delight, design a demo that creates a visible illusion, then reveal just enough control to make people want to try it themselves.

Guerrilla activation lessons from Air Swimmers

Make the demo the message. If the value is visual, build your marketing around one clip that proves the experience in seconds.
Use “living motion” as the hook. Here, “living motion” means movement that reads like a creature rather than a machine, so people treat it as a moment worth filming.
Turn everyday space into a stage. Air Swimmers were also used as a guerrilla execution for SEA LIFE Speyer in Germany. Reported coverage describes Leo Burnett Frankfurt sending “flying sharks” through Frankfurt, including public locations and public transport, to turn the city into a temporary “aquarium” and build awareness for the aquarium in the Rhein-Main region.
Design for spectators, not only users. The best stunts create a second audience. Passers-by who do not control the object still get the full story.

A few fast answers before you act

What is an Air Swimmer?

A helium-filled balloon “fish” you steer indoors with a handheld controller, designed to move with a swimming-like motion through the air.

Why does it feel more impressive than other RC toys?

Because buoyancy handles the “floating,” so the control inputs translate into smooth, creature-like movement rather than noisy, mechanical flight.

What makes a product like this easy to market?

The demo is the message. One short clip communicates the full value without specs, because the motion is the proof.

Why was this a good fit for a SEA LIFE guerrilla execution?

Because it is thematically aligned with marine life, instantly attention-grabbing in public spaces, and it creates a moving spectacle people want to film and talk about.

What should the first ten seconds of the demo show?

Start with the “impossible” floating motion, then reveal the steering control quickly, so people understand it is real and want to try it.

Volvo: There’s More to Life, in 3D

Volvo is pushing past the “cold Swedish marque” perception and leaning into an emotion-led brand campaign built around a disarming line: “There’s more to life than a Volvo.”

The campaign print ad sets up a string of human moments, then lands the message back on the car with a safety punchline. “There’s not running into the car ahead of you, in your XC60. That’s why you drive one.”

Germany gets a very different kind of treatment. A 3D projection in Frankfurt turns the thought into a public spectacle, produced by NuFormer in cooperation with Saatchi & Saatchi.

When the brand line needs public proof

Projection mapping, sometimes called 3D video mapping, is the practice of aligning animated light to the exact geometry of a building facade so the architecture appears to move, fold, or transform. Here, it becomes a storytelling canvas for an emotion-led repositioning. By public proof, I mean a shared, observable moment that demonstrates the brand promise in the real world.

Across European automotive brand building, public-space spectacle is often used to make an abstract shift in perception feel immediate and shared.

Why this execution fits the line

“There’s more to life than a Volvo” only works if it feels like an invitation, not a lecture. The projection format helps because it is experiential rather than declarative. It lets the audience feel the campaign instead of being told about it.

Extractable takeaway: If a repositioning line asks for emotion, design the experience so the audience lives the feeling first, then let the product proof arrive as the payoff.

It also reframes safety. Safety is still the payoff, but it arrives after life. The story says: live fully. Then rely on the car to take care of you when the unpredictable happens.

The real craft move

The real question is whether your repositioning can be experienced, not just stated.

This is branded content without pretending to be entertainment content. The execution does not hide the brand. It earns attention through novelty in public space, then uses that attention to make the line stick as a memory.

Turn a repositioning line into proof

Pick a line that can carry a scene, not just a tagline. If you can imagine it as an experience, you can build with it.
Translate the message into a physical moment, so “brand shift” becomes something people witness together.
Keep the emotional arc intact. Life first, product proof second. That order is the strategy.
Use one technical definition inside the story, so audiences and answer engines can repeat what the format is and why it matters.

A few fast answers before you act

What is projection mapping, in plain terms?

It is a technique where projectors are calibrated to a building’s shape so animated visuals appear to interact with the architecture, creating a 3D illusion.

Why use a 3D projection for a brand line?

Because it makes an intangible message tangible. A public moment gives a repositioning scale, memorability, and social proof.

How does this support Volvo’s safety story without leading with safety?

It frames safety as enabling life, not replacing it. The campaign invites emotion and spontaneity, then lands on protection as the reason the promise is credible.

What is the key risk with spectacle-led brand work?

If the spectacle is not anchored to a single, repeatable line, people remember the show and forget the meaning. The message must be retellable in one sentence.

What should be measured to judge effectiveness?

Unaided recall of the line, brand attribute shift toward “modern” and “engaging,” plus amplification signals like organic shares and press pickup tied to the execution.