IAA 2011 | SunMatrix Ramble

IAA Walk of Innovations – 2013

The 65th Internationale Automobil Ausstellung (IAA) has been running in Frankfurt am Main for the past two weeks. So on Saturday I decided to go for the motor show to catch up on the latest cars and also see first hand the much anticipated Nissan Nismo Watch.

Most of the car makers in this year’s show were also present in IAA 2011. In fact they were even located in the same stands as 2011, with the same high tech touch displays to promote their cars. The only difference was that their 2013 car models were now more hybrid and or electric only e.g. this new four seater Smart…

But while I walked around and looked for changes vis-à-vis what was shown in IAA 2011, I noticed that apart from the now expected large screens and touch displays, car makers were using all kinds of social media to engage with their visitors.

Here is a quick photo report of my engagement experiences with the various car makers…

Audi

To make sure I did not miss Audi this year due to 200+ people standing in line to get into the Audi Stand, I decided to visit the stand very early in morning. The line to get into the stand was short, but there were already hundreds of people inside. On walking in, I noticed that the concept for the stand was taken straight out of the Hollywood movie “Upside Down“…

Visitor engagement at the stand was done through a special photo booth. While people waited in the line they got an iPad to play a game and answer three questions about Audi. Winners got special custom giveaways like keychains, gummy bears etc. After which visitors were assured into the photo booth which superimposed the photos onto custom Audi backgrounds. Visitors could take home a printed copy of the photos and later also download soft copies from www.audiphotoautomat.com.

Mercedes

Next stop was the Mercedes stand which was also impossible to get into in 2011. From the below picture you can see why…

Mercedes put up a huge multi-sensory show that went on for over 20 minute, while thousands of people just stopped and watched. Children visiting the stand were kept busy with car simulators…

Outside the stand one could test drive the Mercedes off road jeeps with the help of trained drivers…

Hyundai

Hyundai was the first car brand I came across that was using the event to generate Facebook fans. For liking the Hyundai Facebook page, fans at IAA could win a Hyundai i30…

The rear windscreen of the i30 was converted into a touchscreen which people could use to instantly “Like” the brand’s Facebook page or choose to receive the Fan Page link via email…

At the stand Hyundai also displayed a unique touchable music seat for hearing impaired drivers which vibrated as per the music being played. This is still in concept phase and the test seats are currently being developed out of Korea…

Volkswagen

The Volkswagen “Think Blue” initiative was presented via an interactive augmented reality layer that was activated through the provided iPads…

Skoda

Skoda explained their Green Line initiative via a wooden toy car that was supported by the animations in the embedded touch screens…

At the neighbouring table kids were engaged with games around the Green Line initiative…

Michelin

At the Michelin stand, visitor could take pictures with a virtual Michelin mascot and have the pictures emailed to themselves instantly…

Nissan

After having written about the Nissan Nismo Watch last week, I could not wait to see the real watch in action. But to my disappointment the watch was not there as announced. There was only a boring plastic dummy on display…

But I did take Nissans version of real life “Likes” for a spin (first spotted at the Renault stand in the 2011 Amsterdam Motor Show)…

The RFID badges allowed visitors to post custom Nissan branded pictures of themselves onto Facebook…

Visitors were also given the option to share the cars they like on Facebook via special Like buttons built into the car info pillars…

Ford

At the Ford stand this year visitors were given head and shoulder massages…

Then to experience the Ford EcoBoost, visitors were put in front of a leaf blower and there reactions caputred and uploaded on the Ford Flickr Channel.

And for the more social visitors, Ford had a nice twitter based contest running…

Kia

At Kia, visitors could superimpose their heads onto a football player and then have the custom postercard sent to their email id’s…

Chevrolet

Visitors at the stand could make small flipbooks of themselves doing funny dances in front of the main charachter of the Hollywood film “Turbo“…

Or they could write special messages to their loved ones on a piece of paper and the team at Chevrolet would instantly convert them into wearable badges…

Chevrolet was also the only car maker at the IAA who was using Foursquare to offer discounts on their show merchandise…

Mini

Mini this year gave visitors the option to body paint their cars and email the photos to themselves…

Visitors could also slide down a specially created tunnel at record speeds that were also photographed and displayed on a large overhead digital screen…

BMW

BMW like Mercedes also put up on a multi-sensory show at their stand. But compared to Mercedes it was short and not as extravagant. But it was still pretty impressive…

Kumho Tyres

Then on the way out I spotted Kumho Tyres giving away various petrol and tyre related coupons. To win the coupons visitors had to catch them while being closed inside a wind cabin…

And that was a quick overview on what I experienced at the 65th Internationale Automobil Ausstellung. (To read about my experience at the 2011 show, click here.)

Until the next show in 2 years. This is Sunil Bahl signing off from IAA 2013. 😎

Smart eBall

At the Frankfurt Motor Show (IAA) in 2011, Daimler promoted its third generation ‘Smart for Two’ electric drive car with a special interactive game event. Berlin based agency, Proximity BBDO designed a special game called eBall that demonstrated the joy of driving a highly responsive Smart car.

Visitors were invited to sign up with their driver’s license, and then given instructions on forward and reverse before engaging in a live duel of Ping Pong that used laser measurement technology to keep track of the game.

IAA Walk of Innovations – 2011

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 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.

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.

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.

A few fast answers before you act

Q: 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.

Q: 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.

Q: 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.

Q: 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.

Q: 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.