An experiential branding case study by Lee Changzhi

www.leechangzhi.comInfo@leechangzhi.com

No Great Thing Is Created Suddenly

“Find beauty not only in the thing itself but in the pattern of the shad-ows, the light and dark which that thing provides.”

– Junichiro Tanizaki

The Brief:

“Brand an event that will help us launch our program, in a big way. We want to help students get a taste of why we are unique!” Nanyang Tech University is an educational institution that has prided itself on mathematics, science and engineering. So when a new design program was introduced in 2008, the University wanted to launch it in a big, iconic way.

One of the fringe events planned was an informal open house party to welcome non-design students to explore the new school and see how design education was ‘different’. What did that mean? Perhaps taking some really boring class-rooms and turning them into unique and creative spaces!

Quick Facts: Scope:

Experiential Branding / Strategy & Event Production

Client:

Nanyang Tech University, School of Art, Design and Media.

Challenge:

We are a new program opening in a bustling university of over 10,000 students. We want to showcase what the essence of design is through a launch event on a tight budget. We want science, engineering and medi-cal student in the community to attend, and get to know us better.

Event Design Budget:

2000 Dollars

Strategy: Follow the yellow line...

All angles, surrounding, all encompassing.

Everywhere, every how360 people. Teamwork

Nearly one year.

Full Circle, from Birth to Rebirth

All senses touched, A sensorial experience

Numbers

A full spectrum of color and emotions

No Great Thing Is Created Suddenly

“The birth of an idea is so difficult. The birth of this school has been hard too.”

One of the primary themes in any creative profession is the journey of idea creation. We wanted to create an event that told the story of what designer go through - and the quest for the next big idea. The best way to begin for us, was to start by finding the right words that describe this story, this narrative that we wanted to tell guests, especially those from the science schools!

To be creative is to go through living hell.

No Idea Is Easy To Realize

Great Impetus To Push On

Something Hits Suddenly

A sudden sense of calm, the blue sea, cruising, motivation, focus, driven, team work, building up, intense but strangely smooth...

Frustration, brokenness, anger, red, blood, tears, sweat, stress, clock ticking down to explosion.

Eureka!, The lights come on. Light bulbs, bright, cheery, celebration, lightness of heart, happiness, a sigh of relief, accomplishment.

What is the best word to describe design? 360 Degrees.

Attributes of a successful event

Possessive

A mark of ownership.

Every person coming to an event should feel that they belong and own a piece of the atmosphere.

Multiple senses are touched.

Milestones are marked by humans in a variety of experiential and impactive ways. An example such as a kiss, or a hug - is a combination of all five senses working to communicate and cel-ebrate the moment of love or friendship. It might also come in the form of a collective shout, or cheer, both a display of visual and audio stimulation.

Everyone has a part to play.

A significant moment is always enhanced when we share it with others who care about us, and who bond with us. We celebrate because all the important people in our lives are there, and it is only significant because of their presence.

Show your true colors.

We celebrate because we are different yet all the same. The most powerful events are those where we express who we really are to each other and affirm each other of our uniqueness.

Immersive

Participative

Expressive

Cumulative

Anticipative

It builds into something bigger.

Layering always happens in the world of celebration. It is a com-bination of different facilitating elements that layers on top of each other to build up the energy in the space, and momentum of the pace.

Contributive

Waiting for something amazing.

At the heart of the celebration lies the moment of amazement - when anything possible can happen.

Everyone has a story to tell.

A celebration is only worthwhile when everyone present has a story to pass on for future generations, or to contribute to the collective.

Collective

This is who we are.

Finally, a successful event affirms who we are, what we stand for, and what we believe in. We have come full-cycle round the circle of 360 degrees.

No Great Thing Is Created Suddenly.

Sub Phases:

No Idea Is Easy To Realize

Great Impetus To Push On

Something Hits Suddenly

Red, the color of fragmentation

Blue, the color of motivation

Yellow, the color of success

Three Rooms, Three PhasesA two prong approach was taken to develop the concept from this stage forward. One was based on copy, the other on color. Both were designed to elicit a different emotion as a guest entered the space. Once I had developed the key attributes of success that this event had to meet, I went on to develop the environmental aspects with regards to the spaces we were given. Three cubical rooms measuring 15 feet by 15 feet made up the interior space, along with an exterior garden and pond.

Eureka!

Fragmentation

Motivation

Props & TotemsThe primary prop was going to be a light within a square box. From there, we developed a series of supporting elements that would play an important role in engaging audiences to participate in the event. We looked at the words we came up with, and from there developed objects that would best convey the emotions.

Lanterns that mirror the shape of the room

Guests enter the event through a

No Idea Is Easy To Realize.

-matically lit in red, guests will encounter the emotion of stress. Fragments of paper, like debris, will be suspended in mid-air by string, like a jigsaw puzzle in the process of coming together. Sounds

temperature will be pushed up a notch .

Great Impetus Created To Push On.

Within the second room which will be dramatically lit in blue, guests will encounter the emotion of motivation. A quiet, tranquil space where they will hear soft the sound

takes to guide the pieces of a creative process along.

Some Thing Hits Suddenly.

Within the third room which will be dramatically lit in yellow, guests will encounter a vibrant, positive space where they will hear upbeat music, and will learn about what it takes to bring an idea from fustration, to endur-

emotion of celebration.

No Great Thing Is Created Suddenly.

With all creative processes, no great thing is created suddenly. Once guests have tours and experienced the rooms, the exit out over a water feature and look back at they creative journey they have just under taken.

ideas come to build a sucessful organization.

Exit to party dance

Enterence into event space

360 DegreesA celebration of the creative process in four party spaces- cutaway schematic

Lights are installed within the water

Indoor Space

Outdoor Space

The Event Narrative

Crafting the audience journey

For a launch event for a brand new design school, I was tasked with creating an event using three rooms to convey the theme of ‘360’. Because this was an event located in an educational institution filled with interesting and creative people, it was going to be es-pecially hard to bring about a unique experience that really captured the spirit of 360.

I began with a strategic look at the word 360 and what it meant, and how it could be used to convey the concept of ‘birth’ and ‘idea creation’, two central themes in the world of design and eduction.

As the evening arrived and the lights came on, the building turned into a dramatic stage...

Students from all parts of the uni-versity were amazed to see how once ordinary classrooms were transformed into party spaces.

“I have never seen something so ephemeral leave such a permanent legacy on our young program... One year later, people are still talk-ing about that night!”

- Deborah Alden, Academic Chair and Professor

“This event really altered the idea of what a classroom needs to be - that it can be creative, fun and transformative.”

- Xiu Rue, Engineering Student

“The program has made a connec-tion with the larger community. We left an impression that we are the ‘cool school!’.”

- Jin Ping,Student at the School of Art, Design & Media

The Results:

Lee Changzhi is passionate about creating experiences that bring people together, because the best gifts in life are never things...

...they are the moments we share with community.

He has a strong interest in pursuing a career in theatre, environ-mental, exhibition, scenographic and large scale event design. He is an avid researcher of Nation Branding concepts including the Olym-pic Games, Musicals, Theme Parks and World Expositions ; all expressions of mega brand experiences.

Lee currently lives in New York City, and was raised in Singapore.

Web: www.leechangzhi.comWrite: info@leechangzhi.comCall: +1 917 302-9372Connect: www.linkedin.com/in/leechangzhi

About Lee Changzhi