A wave of particles whisking you along, favorite characters close enough to touch, precious artifacts and soothing waves…tunnels and other types of staged liminal space may be an established element in trade show exhibits but new LEDs and evolving tech are offering new storytelling opportunities, and brands are going all in.
From an enticing invitation into the brand space to bridging the past-present-future continuum to full immersion, tunnels are a key part of creating a staged experience, taking attendees on a guided journey, building in time and space to dwell, marvel and explore.
Adriano Almeida, head of creative services and strategies at Kubik, is excited about this shift and its potential for brand experiences. “If the past was all about hitting guests with a huge billboard and giving a clear line of sight to everything. Today it’s more about guiding guests through your experience in steps,” he noted in a recent LinkedIn post.
Almeida describes it as “onboarding” guests through the experience with defined and progressive stages connected with transitions. “It may be something as simple as a portal, an archway or a tunnel… maybe even a theater. It can even be a change in lighting, sounds or scent from one area to the next. These transitions work so well because they draw on the ‘power of moments’ to prime our brains to readily accept new inputs and information.”
We’re seeing tunnels as part of staged experiences all over the show floor this year. Here are just some that blew our mind.
Mastercard
At Money 20/20, Mastercard told the story of driving innovation through the theme of moving forward and tapped into the concept of particle movement to help attendees experience the brand’s vision. As they moved through the tunnel, they explored various ways the brand’s ecosystem of partnerships delivers real-world results, culminating in the “Priceless” fiery display against the matte black finish of the exhibit. Once attendees exited the tunnel, they could dive deeper into the topics most relevant to them at the five aisle-facing demo stations and take a moment to share all the photos and video content they recorded along the way. (Partner: Art Guild, Inc.)
Legendary Entertainment
At the Licensing Expo, Legendary Entertainment invited attendees into the world of rich storytelling of the Dune franchise and Godzilla vs. Kong via a splashy LED entrance tunnel, which also offered a rare chance to get up close and personal with the artifacts from the recent blockbusters as well as an intimate photo-op moment with the viral AMC sandworm popcorn bucket behind the velvet rope.
Samsung
Samsung’s “The Wall” awed attendees at InfoComm who live and breathe a/v, and for a good reason. Powered by the brand’s MicroLED technology, the massive front wall of the otherwise monochrome and down-to-business exhibit was the marvel of architecture one moment and a psychedelic tunnel the next. When the storm waves came crashing down, it felt like you were about to get hit by ocean spray. Conversations in the aisle stopped and people looked up.
Brunswick
Marine recreation brand Brunswick invited CES attendees to walk through an azure shimmering portal into a soothing space complete with an elevated “boat deck” and chill music. Water projections on the floor and the walls made it easy to shift the mindset and dive into the future of recreational boating. (Partner: Kubik)
Walmart
Retail giant’s debut two-story exhibit at CES 2024 walked attendees through the company’s vision of retail innovation, complete with interactive touchpoints, games, and an AR competition, that culminated in a 4D ride. The defined and physically enclosed guided journey moved the attendees’ perspective and understanding of the brand and felt like a theme park experience. (Partners: LEO Events; Interactives: Gramercy Tech)
Hyundai Motor Group
As attendees entered the stark fortress of Hyundai Motor Group, also at CES 2024, the mood the liminal space was creating was a massive departure from the sensory overload of the show floor, with pictures of garbage piles against gray walls painting a picture of a bleak future and priming attendees to step into the brand’s vision for carbon neutrality. (Partner: Astound Group)
LG
We can’t talk about tunnels without LG. At CES 2024, the brand celebrated a decade-long journey of webOS with a must-experience curved screen tunnel that showcased “infinite entertainment.” New releases took centerstage, but every phone was out to capture the scenes from Prime Video’s “The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power” and the wave of fire igniting the iconic inscription “One ring to rule them all…” (Partner: Czarnowski)
