NEXT 2018
A Google keynote experience unlike anything else
Today, most conference attendees watch presentations on a second or third device. Watching live, taking pictures, tweeting, reading other’s reactions via social or text, etc. So, when Jack was tasked with creating a keynote experience for Google Cloud’s biggest event of the year, we aimed to be as disruptive as the brand’s technology is to the tech world. We designed something that wasn’t just multi-screen worthy, but also only made sense for Google.
The first task was to deconstruct the stage – creating “containers” (a cloud computing metaphor) of content that were inspired by Google’s product announcements. Replacing the single screen, we created four 360-degree rotating containers, each with their own quirky personality, to house and display content. On each side, a single letter spelled out N-E-X-T carved in wood. N hosted a Google Cloud server. E was an entertainment cube where live artists created music in real time. X was a blank slate that revealed delight moments over the three days. T was for technology and held a full demo suite of Google’s latest announcements. One killer moment was bringing twin DJs to play across from one another. One was based in San Francisco. The other in New York. And we tricked the audience into thinking they were one and the same with mirrors and streamed video. We also modernized executive presentations to lead with bold visuals and avoid heavy text.
Impact
The keynote was one of the brand’s biggest triumphs. Over 5,000 people packed the room and 23,000 engaged in overflow rooms. On the first day, Google’s stock trading volume increased by 300% over average – indicating that folks were watching for how the company was performing. Value continued to increase each day with its highest point being at the close. It wasn’t just Google that scored big. Jack’s main creative client contact, Philip McDougall (Creative Director, Google Cloud), said, “Jack changed the way Google thinks about keynotes,” which was a testament to the success.
- Better: As a testament to our success in rethinking the traditional conference, our main creative client contact, Philip McDougall (Creative Director, Google Cloud), shared some thoughts below.
- Lasting impact: On the first day of the keynote, Google’s stock trading volume increased by 300% over average volume — indicating that folks were clearly watching the keynote stage for insight into how the company was performing at the time. From Monday’s stock market opening to Thursday’s close (last day of the conference), the stock increased consistently up to 7.5%. Buoyed by a strong earnings report earlier in the week, Google’s value continued to increase over each day of the conference with its highest point being at the event’s close.
