Our solution was to bring a future of inaction to life for people to experience today – in all its dystopian and provocative glory. We introduced students to A FUTURE WITHOUT CHANGE: a glimpse into what our world could become if we merely adapt to the issues we face instead of changing them.

With the help of each faculty, we created 17 products that shouldn’t exist – each based on a real problem that Monash researchers are working to solve, as well as courses students can study to help make change.

Digital OOH, online films and social posts featuring our products drove students to our activation events, one held at our campus and another at Federation Square in the heart of Melbourne. Here they experienced the physical products in custom-built environments and further interacted with them through an immersive VR experience.

The storytelling began before the experience itself, in the form of online videos and digital OOH that introduced prospective students to the ideas within A FUTURE WITHOUT CHANGE.

Once at the event visitors could engage in the ideas through audio visual installations, smart mirrors, audio integrated into mock medical procedures, physical installations as well as a VR space where 10 of the different products and services came to life through the experience of a possible future.

By bringing products to life in up five different touch points - such as the Anti-Depresso’s cereal in film, OOH, product, activation, and VR - there were many entry points to the ideas as well as an ease of exploration through the different ways their stories were realised.

By using this approach the whole experience became immersive and naturally provided for an individual to explore what resonated with them the most out of the 17 products brought to life in up to five different ways. Furthermore, this sense of ‘choose your own adventure’ allowed people to respond authentically to the space. Be that through an interest in audio visuals, or virtual reality experiences.

To ensure relevance to Monash University each of the 17 future products had an issue that Monash researchers were actively working to, to ensure to the best of their ability that this future will not become real.

In total two events were held, with digital OOH and social films used in bursts to drive traffic before each.