Since smartphones are such everyday items in this modern age, they present many touchpoints for marketing to consumers. Based on this insight, we wanted to build au’s brand image by providing multiple ways to experience the same footage.?We created a WARP CUBE, where users could use a smartphone to "warp" between spectacular views all over the world. Other features include phone calls from people in the images, and maps showing the user’s current position. A stress-free, "you are there" experience is made possible by au’s communications technology. The content was also put on au’s website and YouTube TrueView as WARP SCREEN, so PC and mobile users could enjoy the experience without coming to the cube. Mobile users could move their smartphone around for 360-degree views, and swing their smartphone upward to "warp" to another location.

First, we created our original drone with many attached GoPro’s, spending two months to shoot 360° footage in 15 locations around the world. To create truly breath-taking footage, we focused on exotic, never-seen locations. We then produced one video as the killer content to be experienced both 1). physically and 2). on the web. 1). A fully immersive experience was created called "warp cube" which reproduced the footage in 1:1 actual size. Held over three days in a heavily trafficked commercial area of Tokyo, users entered the cube surrounded by 360° of moveable speakers and high-resolution LED screens (placed at a pitch of 2.1 mm). By swinging their smartphones, the interactive contents allowed users to instantly "jump" between different breathtaking views. 2). We made the same 360° content available as "warp screen" on our website and YouTube TrueView, allowing people who couldn’t attend the event to experience the brand.

"warp cube" was held for three days in Tokyo, proving very popular with an average wait of three hours. It was also featured on news channels and a great number of media outlets. 1100 users experienced it, and many amplified their experiences on social media. This chain reaction led to many customers outside of Tokyo requesting au to hold the event locally. Moreover, since other products can be advertised by changing the content shown in the cube, requests spurred for joint advertising campaigns between au and other partners.

16 million people experienced the 360° content on "warp screen" and YouTube TrueView over a period of five months. The successes of both "warp cube" and "warp screen" created a massive response, driving up au’s brand favorability by 348%. Also, the number of people surveyed who answered that au is the best mobile phone provider rose by 171%, fulfilling our KPI.

In order to build the brand image of cell phone provider au, and create an opportunity for people to directly experience the possibilities of the actual commercial product: smartphones, we launched 360° video content in real life and on the Internet. The execution allowed users to swing their smartphones to "warp" (teleport) around the world, while also making these interactive contents available on the Internet browser, realizing a fresh new way to experience life through their smartphones.

au is currently the second most used mobile phone carrier in Japan. Our mission was to create a brand image that is "going ahead of the rest", putting au out in front of the competition. au’s rival providers spend tens of million of dollars on celebrity spokespeople and mass media campaigns, but with only a million dollars budget, we created a PR worthy campaign that is focused on bringing out the innovative possibilities of smartphones. This approach led to an all-new physical experience for users of any age, where they could use their smartphones to stimulate all five of their senses.