With the help of some “super bass,” Nokia’s new Lumia 900 phone turned up the volume in Times Square.
With the help of some “super bass,” Nokia’s new Lumia 900 phone turned up the volume in Times Square.
With the help of some “super bass,” Nokia’s new Lumia 900 phone turned up the volume in Times Square. The communications giant wanted to introduce its new smartphone with a live “pop-up” launch event that it hoped would go viral. Lightswitch partnered with IncrediBull Productions to produce a multi-faceted experience that included a 36-hour countdown in Times Square followed by a surprise concert from rapper Nicki Minaj, who introduced the Lumia 900 and performed to a live crowd of nearly 30,000 fans.
In less than one month, we transformed the client’s abstract concert concept into a realized production. The experience centered on a giant blue box that appeared a day-and-a-half before the launch in Times Square, mere blocks from Lightswitch’s New York Office. An internally illuminated, the temporary structure formed the glowing blue cube, while a LED countdown clock on its façade ticked down the hours to the then-unknown event. At zero-hour, three walls of the cube dropped to reveal its contents—Nicki Minaj and her backup dancers. A combination of pixel-mapped LED luminaires and moving-head theatrical fixtures made the stage dazzle with kinetic, colorful lighting. Lightswitch helped to secure lighting locations throughout Times Square and had a team available 24 hours a day to address the client’s questions and concerns.
Our cross-disciplinary experience in stage and event design, coupled with our extensive preparation and flexibility ensured a seamless performance. The glowing blue box attracted attention amidst the bustling urban surrounding, creating mystery and generating buzz. During the show, dynamic, vibrant stage lighting matched Minaj’s energetic performance. The thoughtfully chosen lighting accommodated live and virtual audiences alike, helping to make Nokia’s viral marketing effort a success.
