The GRAMMYs was bringing music’s biggest night back to New York so we wanted to literally bring more music to the city that’s given so much to the world. We outfitted an Uber with sophisticated AI cameras and an AR screen to create a unique song for each rider, triggered by the objects and people the car passed on each route. Objects like bikes, fire hydrants, street signs and even the height of people’s heads determined the sounds and pitch of notes played inside the Uber. Riders watched from the backseat as a custom song was composed and animated live before their eyes.

Four days after a bomb cyclone blizzard shut down New York, the GRAMMYs treated unsuspecting Uber riders to our Play the City experience. After double checking the tech worked in daylight, night, and the event of snow and there was no lag between what was outside the window vs. shown on the screen, riders watched from the back seat as their unique song was composed based on the city around them, live before their eyes. Everything was of course documented by multiple cameras in the car and a trailing film crew van.

We are proud that an AI/AR powered project had a very human impact. Rather than tech for tech’s sake ‘Play the City’ used technology to move people and created an enduring body of music. Every rider lucky enough to experience our special GRAMMYs x Uber was genuinely blown away as NYC objects from residents to fire hydrants helped create a truly unique song for each ride. Despite launching within 48 hours of the GRAMMYs award show, competing with Super Bowl coverage, and having zero paid media spend, net sentiment was overwhelmingly positive at over 80% from the almost 100,000 viewers around the world who were only able to experience it as a post-experience film.

To celebrate returning to New York for their 60th anniversary, The GRAMMYs transformed NYC into an augmented reality musical instrument. We outfitted an Uber with sophisticated AI cameras and an AR screen to create a unique song for each rider, triggered by the objects and people the car passed on each route. Riders watched from the backseat as a custom song was composed live before their eyes.

Target audience (consumer demographic/individuals/organisations) • Approach

The GRAMMYs was turning 60 and returning to NYC. To mark the moment we wanted to do something that spoke to the soul of New York but also pushed the boundaries of what music is in 2018. Relevancy can be a challenge for any awards show, the GRAMMYs included. So we wanted to send a clear signal that the GRAMMYs is more innovative than ever that and added real dimension to this year’s ‘Long Live Music’ platform.

The most prestigious music award show, The GRAMMYs, has taken place in Los Angeles, California for the past 15 years. However, for their 60th anniversary they decided to return to New York City. To create excitement we wanted to do something big with NY as our canvas.. An event that would be loved by New Yorkers lucky enough to experience it yet appreciated by any music fan. So we turned the entire city of Manhattan into a musical instrument that’s played by a special GRAMMYs Uber.