Creative Execution

The Trend Coaster transforms a graph of tweets trends for a given keyword into a virtual 3D rollercoaster — an attraction consisting of an Oculus headset and driving simulator that you can ride. It was designed to display tweets, Yahoo! News articles, and searched images matching the chosen keyword. Based on the rollercoaster’s calculated speed, the machine vibrates and blows air to simulate the ride and creates a splash with gas at the bottoms of the trend graph. All aspects of the ride were designed so people can truly experience trend information. We installed Trend Coaster in amusement parks.

After developing the Trend Coaster, we first held a development presentation. Then, we installed Trend Coaster at amusement parks and advertising conferences where the target audience often gather. We also let people have simulated Trend Coaster experiences on a website and mobile devices. Later on, the Trend Coaster was invited to many conferences and presented on many TV programs. A machine is now installed in the entrance of Yahoo! JAPAN and every day creators and marketers come to take a ride.

Yahoo Trend Search is a service which counts the number of a certain word that is tweeted and forms it into a waveform graph. The problem was that everyone was not interested in these search results, because she or he did not understand how to utilize it. But, everybody wants to have a sense of trend. So we invented Trend Coaster, a virtual roller coaster driven by the search results. In this Trend Coaster, the more viral the word you search is, the higher and the more exiting the trend coaster gets. So it can stimulate their insight to be sensitive to trends. Trend Coaster created the new relationship that people want to try their sensibility to trends by Yahoo Trend Search.