We envisioned celebrating the shaver foil as the most important part of the product – the part that touches a user’s skin and provides the high-performance experience Braun is known for ¬¬– using a single material. This idea was expressed as an immersive and memorable experience designed to activate the Braun brand for viewers by engaging multiple senses. The impressive large-scale installation showcases the principles behind Braun’s new Series 9 shaver in a way that embodies the values of excellence, engineering and quality that are imbued in every Braun product. We also wanted to communicate Braun’s long-standing commitment to design – an ethos that has been central to the brand for the past six decades – by creating a piece of experiential design that would immerse viewers in the world of Braun rather than a more conventional direct promotional tool. This approach was conceived to evoke a more emotional and

Foil was located in the Tapestries gallery at the V&A, which houses the historic Duke of Devonshire tapestries, which are among the Museum’s greatest treasures. A 20-metre-long undulating ribbon comprising 50,000 individual metallic elements was created to run down the entire length of the darkened gallery. The ribbon moved continuously and dynamically in a sine wave formation, reflecting and scattering light around the gallery accompanied by a newly composed immersive soundscape. The shape of the metallic elements was informed by the precision engineered shape of the Braun shaver foil, and the movement was inspired by the 360-degree movement of the Braun shaver head. A system of 10 LED lights was directed onto the undulating metal foil, which reflected, amplified and traced the light across the tapestries. The movement of the installation responds to the way in which the Braun Series 9 foil seamlessly traces the contours of the face.

The response to Foil far exceeded the client’s expectations. The installation had initially been scheduled to be exhibited for nine days during LDF. Due to overwhelming popularity, the exhibition was increased to four weeks, and an estimated 150,000 people walked through the gallery during this period. Media pick up was excellent with over 15 million viewers across online and print media. Foil was named Highlight of London Design Festival by numerous publications, including The New York Times and *Wallpaper. Social media engagement was also an important tool for raising awareness of the installation and the Braun brand, and Foil was designed to maximise this potential by offering an “Instagrammable” experience. Due to its smart modular construction Foil can be easily transported and re-used, and is now touring the world with Braun, being utilised as a focal point for all corporate events and becoming an important, ongoing part of their marketing.