We wanted to showcase the newly created mechanism of action (MOA) video and drive people to the Genentech booth, so we sought out a medium that promotes active viewing through physical stimulation. The creative idea of the Bone Conduction Café was to adapt existing bone technology equipment to create a fascinating experience for the particular audience at the conference. Bone conduction uses bones in the body to transmit sound to the viewer. We knew the physicians and scientists forming our audience would appreciate the anatomical aspect of the technology, and that the physical involvement with the video would engage attendees on a new and different level. We hoped this would foster greater interest in the newly launched cancer drug and its tumor-fighting actions, and encourage conversation about the product and the company with booth representatives and among convention attendees.

The bone conduction technology works by sending vibrations through the bones of the viewer’s elbows, forearms, and hands to the ear to transmit sound. To execute our idea, we developed mini sound vibration pads, two per station, on which the viewer would rest his or her elbows. These vibration pads connected to an iPad running the MOA video with the video’s sound amplified through the viewer’s bones. Two tables were custom-made to support four stations each, for a total of eight stations. The café was located next to the refreshment area for optimal exposure, to encourage customers to sit and relax with refreshments while at least passively viewing the experience and observing people using the technology. The bone conduction technology took about a month to create, and the process from the presentation of the idea to the client to the installation of the booth took about seven weeks of work.

135% more visitors to the Genentech booth overall

30% longer visits than the past year

about 2 visits per customer, up 20%

Voted Favorite Booth

Voted Most Memorable Booth

Voted Company with the Best Pipeline on the merits of information received

Voted the product that attendees “Learned The Most New Things About”