Newsroom
October 10th, 2012
Global brand experience agency Jack Morton Worldwide today announced that it received its 18th Emmy® Award for designing the set of NBC News’ second annual “Education Nation” event. Held every September in New York City, “Education Nation” is a three-day national broadcast aimed at sparking solutions-oriented conversations about the state of education in America. The 2011 broadcast was heralded for its innovative set design, which was spearheaded by Jack Morton, as it allowed for real-time engagement with in-studio audience members, at-home viewers and the broader online community.
NBC News tapped Jack Morton’s New York office to design a space fitting for the event, which featured high-profile speakers including Brian Williams, Bill Clinton, Warren Buffet and Melinda Gates. Held at New York City’s Rockefeller Center, the event presented a unique challenge for the Jack Morton design team who had to transform an unconventional outdoor space into a dynamic and flexible arena to host discussions, high-profile lectures and Town Hall-style meetings. The space also had to serve as a fully functional broadcast studio.
“This project really underscores what Jack Morton is all about – in this case, taking intangible concepts such as dialogue, spontaneity and exchange about education in America and translating them into meaningful, hands-on experiences that really resonate with the client’s core audience,” said Jim Fenhagen, SVP of Design at Jack Morton, who led the design team. “We are incredibly proud of the team responsible for this win and appreciate those in the industry who continue to recognize and celebrate our work.”
Utilizing Rockefeller Center’s world-famous Prometheus statue – a fitting symbol of intelligence and a champion of mankind – as its centerpiece, the event space featured digital projection mapping to display content around the Prometheus statue, including a “digital fountain” of real-time tweets about the event from in-studio and outside participants. Designed to complement the way in which people naturally engage in conversation and exchange ideas, the event also featured a blogger lounge, break-out areas and turntable seating to keep the space evolving to meet the needs of the ongoing broadcast.
This is Jack Morton’s 18th overall Emmy® Award and its 7th News and Documentary Emmy® Award. The agency’s Emmy® win for “Outstanding Individual Achievement in a Craft: Lighting, Direction and Scenic Design” was announced by the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences (NATAS) during the 33rd Annual News and Documentary Emmy® Awards ceremony held on October 1, 2012 in New York City – right off the heels of working with NBC News once again for its third annual “Education Nation” event.