Why is this work relevant for Brand Experience & Activation ?

The Think Tank was a real, live activation of an agency brand as a means of raising awareness of the state of our planet. By taking a somewhat non-tangible issue – one that many find overwhelming or difficult to comprehend – and planting it into a physical space, we were able to make it more relatable and meaningful to the 5,000+ people attending TEDxSydney, which sets the standard for TEDx events globally.

Background

As the official production partner for TEDxSydney 2019 we were also tasked with conceptualising and bringing to life our own activation at the Storytellers tribe within the event’s Hub area.

Describe the creative idea (20% of vote)

We wanted to create a concept that spoke to the event’s 10-year anniversary theme of ‘Legacy,’ as well as the wider TEDx values and our own, by curating five 25-minute, pressure cooker brainstorming sessions.

Describe the strategy (20% of vote)

We decided to focus on creating an open platform for people from all different walks of life to discuss the broad-reaching – and urgent – issue of sustainability. We knew our approach was a little risky. Getting people with varying views and lifestyle together in a small space to discuss a pressing topic unscripted could no doubt cause friction, but we were willing to take a chance in the name of preserving our planet and producing positive long-term outcomes.

Describe the execution (30% of vote)

The Think Tank featured four clear acrylic walls so that audience members could view the goings on inside, and our scribe used these surfaces to capture key session takeaways (which were also live Tweeted) – a sustainable solution that eliminated the need for paper. The Think Tank brought 29 creatives, entrepreneurs and big-name brands together, who tackled either deforestation, climate change, pollution, food wastage or loss of biodiversity in organic, non-scripted, and sometimes heated ways. A facilitator inside the Think Tank kept the conversation flowing, and audience members tuned in via Silent Sounds headsets. A host on the outside encouraged them to ask questions and share their sustainable thoughts, no matter how thought-provoking or controversial. Each session recording was transcribed, and key findings extracted. These were packaged up into an infographic and detailed deck with speaker soundbites, with the aim of spreading the word about the plight of the planet.

List the results (30% of vote)

Sessions featured 5-6 speakers, from Adobe, Xero, Optus, SAP, OzHarvest, Reverse Garbage, TEDxSydney and more. They collectively engaged in 125+ minutes of sustainable discussion, and devised eight solution themes: brands and corporations, government and legislation, education, recycling and re-using, product alternatives, technology, incentivising and individuals taking action. The sessions were packed with engaged audience members, TEDxSydney attracted over 5,000 attendees, and the livestream saw 38K+ views, so it’s safe to say the Think Tank inspired thousands of people. More than 12,000 Twitter impressions were recorded on the event day, over 28,000 Instagram impressions were recorded for posts published between 13-27 May, and nearly 12,000 LinkedIn impressions were garnered between 13 May-18 June, when a final findings post was published. TEDxSydney named it one of the “best takeaways from the Hub,” and it has facilitated ongoing partnerships such as this cool sustainable art party in Sydney: https://www.theurbanlist.com/sydney/a-list/hiccup-sustainable-art-party