Amex came to us with a great idea: an installation that showcased the user’s creative abilities, but that also fit the branding for the rest of their current campaign. Although some people might think all we do is code and design, the truth is that we can do more than just whip up some neat-o digital graphics. We can get very nuts-and-bolty if needed. It’s thinking outside the box – literally. The Amex Big Canvas installation is a great example of this.
Since the campaign theme uses bold colour doodles on a black background, we decided to create an installation that let users paint a “screen” using three primary colours and a virtual palette. Think of it as Jackson Pollock 2.0.
The challenges were the best part. The virtual palette on an iPad was the easy part. But the iPad is designed to read fingers – how could we get it to read a virtual paintbrush? We got around that issue by using a thermal LED and a conductive thread. And a Wii remote sensor to captured the motion of the flicked paintbrush. After creating an image that they liked, users could print off a copy of the image – making, in essence, a customizable and personalized ad for everyone who used it.
Amex’s Big Canvas was installed in airport lounges and malls, and it was so popular and attention-grabbing that Amex began using it at many events beyond the ones we originally designed it for. We’ve heard that similar units are being made for Latin America and Europe. But the best response we got about our work? We were asked to put a strap on the paintbrush. Apparently users were so excited when they used the paintbrush, they sometimes accidentally tossed it about. Our work isn’t done until people start losing their stuff.
