Outside the Box
Tell us about the feature
This year, Brandfuel
collaborated with Android to
create the Android Avenue: a
212m pop-up street that we
exhibited at the Mobile World
Congress in Barcelona.
The semi-surreal, urban
stand was designed to
showcase how Android and
Google products can assist
you wherever you are and
wherever you go.
This was our eighth year
collaborating with the brand
and in turn our most creative
and complex delivery to date.
Known to the MWC audience
as providing more than just
a stand, Android’s followers
expect an experience.
Out of the 2,400 other
exhibitors this is the only
stand that is outside, it’s one
of the most interactive stands
and provides a break from the
relentless noise and indoor
corporate environment – its
very purpose is to act as a
vessel of escapism.
The Android Avenue
showcased Google’s
latest home assistants,
mobile phones, AR, VR
and AI products hosted an
immersive AR art gallery,
boutique shops, a well-being
pavilion, a coffee shop and
even a hotel. The 13 designed
individual experiences
created were takes on familiar
locations and transported
guests to the specific
situations where an Android/
Google product could benefit
them e.g. using Google’s Lens
app to identify the brand of
a dress in a shop window.
Or using Google’s Translate
through camera function to
quickly decipher a menu.
The intention was to create
a seamless immersive guest
58 — September
The
Brandfuel
sparkle
EN learns about a complex build in a tight
time frame at Mobile World Congress
journey across the space
and reinforce the day-to-day
value of Google and Android
products.
What was the process of
creating it?
The Avenue was eight
months in the making from
design to delivery. It takes
a large team of producers,
creative directors, graphic
designers, production
managers, as well as a
strategy director and
technology director to bring
our vision to life, not to
mention the hundreds of
people working onsite.
Every element of this
project pushes the boundaries
of our expertise – creatively
and logistically. We are given
36 hours from the venue to
construct this stand, while
others have up to one month
to do so. This is because our
area is outside and used as a
loading bay during build time.
We have to work very
closely with our carpenters
throughout pre-production,
ensuring that the structures
they are constructing can be
realistically built within our
build timeframe.
This means going back to
the drawing board on several
occasions with our creative
team to get it right. We also
only have six hours to de-rig
after the live event, another
hurdle we must tackle, in
detail, before going on site.
A key element and a lengthy
part of the process is the prop
sourcing and buying which
we do to bring the space to
life. The intricate level of
detail we deliver is noted by
the client and customer. We
make sure if you are walking
into a coffee shop on our
stand, it will be like walking
into a coffee shop on La
Ramblas.
Each structure had a
subtle nod to our Spanish
surroundings, with locally
designed tiles and fabrics,
cookbooks in the kitchen,
carefully selected art in the
gallery, a concierge service
complete with real luggage
and even souvenirs in the
hotel.
Not one stone was left
unturned. This has often
been referred to by our client
as the ‘Brandfuel sparkle’.
The Android Avenue went
live in February 2019 and
attracted over 74,000 visitors
of the 100,000 at MWC in
just four days.