Hard Rock Cafe: MEMORABILIA ON MICROSOFT SURFACE

Credits & Description:

Category: Other Digital Executions for Advertising and/or Promotion of Brands or Products

Advertiser: HARD ROCK INTERNATIONAL

Product/Service: CAFES AND HOTELS

Agency: DUNCAN/CHANNON

Date of First Appearance: Sep 5 2009 12:00AM

Entrant Company: DUNCAN/CHANNON, San Francisco, USA

executive creative director: Robert Duncan (Duncan/Channon)

creative director, designer: Michael Lemme (Duncan/Channon)

technology director: Mike Hanley (Vertigo)

technical lead, developer: Liam Molloy (Vertigo)

lead developer: Paul Osburn (Vertigo)

developer: Scott Milliken (Vertigo)

developer: Benoit Dion (Vertigo)

Media placement: Interactive Installation - Hard Rock Cafe Las Vegas - 5 September 2009



Describe the challenges and key objectives

The interface had to be effortless to engage with, providing immediate access to some of Hard Rock’s most compelling items, but also satisfy more fanatical guests, who we knew would want to deep-dive into a particular artist or area of interest. We also wanted to allow for collaboration as well as individual exploration. Above all, it had to look great and be fun to use.



Describe the brief from the client

Hard Rock selected Microsoft Surface -- the multi-user, multi-touch, interactive tabletop -- as part of a broader initiative to bring permanent, engaging, interactive experiences into their global cafes and hotels. “Worldwide Memorabilia” is a custom application that allows several guests to collaboratively explore the world’s greatest music memorabilia collection, and in mind-boggling detail.



Describe how you arrived at the final design

Our primary design objective was to stay out of the way of beautiful, high-resolution images of the world’s greatest memorabilia collection. For example, it was critical for the navigation to be invisible, contextual and intuitive. The horizontal display and interactive surface, and the fact that the interface can be approached from any side -- not to mention the Hard Rock identity -- informed the circular theme of the interaction “portals.”



Give some indication of how successful the outcome was in the market

From the pilot launch in Las Vegas to deployments at new properties in Seattle and Berlin, our best evidence for success has been Hard Rock’s continued investment and deployment of this interface to additional properties around the world. Guests report that the new interactive experiences at Hard Rock contribute to their overall experience and are reasons to visit again or recommend to friends.