Driving into the future with automotive innovation

Challenge

Destination: Urban Freedom

Since China is the largest automobile market, the Shanghai Auto Show has become an international stage for showcasing electromobility and autonomous driving to millions of visitors over the 8-day event. Audi intended to stand out from the crowd by launching its all-new electric concept car AI:ME and, in the process, gain positive media exposure.

In Audi’s vision of future mobility, our automobile drives will liberate us from our hectic urban lifestyle. With that concept in mind, we worked with Audi to conceive the theme “Urban Freedom,” which would visually showcase how AI:ME could impact the future of the city and its citizens. Instead of taking the conventional route of delivering a singular, dazzling new car debut, we opted to highlight the new vehicle’s innovative technology through storytelling and live experience. A story of the future in a subversive urban lifestyle setting was designed to build an experience that envisioned a potential future powered by AI:ME.

Solution

Simulated stimulation of the senses

The futuristic experience took the media guests on a journey that simulated the future of urban living in the Audi Urban City. Guests were immersed in a sensory digital drive to experience freedom on the road under a starry sky, sunset, forest, and green city created with three-sided LED projection. The emotional theatrical spectacle combined robotics with live human performance to create a contrast between man and the machine — and show how they could exist in perfect harmony, thanks to the AI:ME car.

Result

World premier upgrade

Audi valued the creative concept so much that the limited launch in China was upgraded to a world premiere event. The event generated a great deal of media attention: 2,678 media reports were generated, reaching more than 400 million people, resulting in media value of more than 500 million yuan. This Audi launch received the highest attention from mainstream social channels like WeChat and Weibo during the Shanghai Auto Show.