AIRBAG and McCann Melbourne score 9 AdFest Awards for MIFF ‘The Emotional Trailer’ campaign

AIRBAG’s work on the MIFF Emotional Trailer has had a spectacular start to the awards season with a strong showing at AdFest. The project, through McCann Melbourne, picked up a Grand Prix and two Gold in Interactive, topping off a total of 9 Awards across many categories.

Says Adrian Bosich, managing partner, AIRBAG: “I’m delighted to add this swag to the collection we’ve won with McCann Melbourne, which now totals over 60 Awards across campaigns such as Impossible Orchestra, Care Aware, Phubbing, Problem Gambling – ‘100 Day Challenge’, and Tiger Air – ‘Chickens’. It’s fundamentally about the work, and some diss Awards, but Awards have made a huge difference to our business, locally and internationally. We wouldn’t be doing VR for Los Angeles, for instance, without having won some metal.”

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The Emotional Trailer was a campaign devised by McCann in support of the 2015 Melbourne International Film Festival. It focussed on the emotional experience we share as movie goers. AIRBAG’s contribution was to design and build the technology behind the idea – The Emotion Simulator.

The Emotion Simulator is a completely bespoke device that uses electrodes to stimulate muscles in the user’s face. This manipulates a face to approximate various emotional expressions. Data driven choreography allowed for the recreation of each film as an ‘Emotional Trailer’, representing in one minute or less, the emotional journey of each film.

The project was a singular technical challenge that bridged numerous disciplines. AIRBAG’s chief geek Steven Nicholson’s (left) contribution to the project spanned medical research, electronics, programming, prop construction and torture (until he nailed the tech).

Says Nicholson: “When your goal is discussion and a little buzz, doing something a bit out-there is always a fruitful path. In that sense we owe a debt to MIFF and McCann. It takes a risk to make something great.”

Judges at AdFest were enthused by the use of multiple technologies and creative use of data; and praised it as a ‘standout innovation’ and a ‘captivating execution’.

Nicholson has posted an article as an insight into the creative process behind the tech and AIRBAG’s approach.

AIRBAG

Publicity: Asha Holmes Publicity