People-Powered Cup Spinner

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Client:  Honda
Agency:  PLAY Communication
Brief: A people-powered cup spinner

Honda fell in love with an experiential idea for the Sydney Festival conceived by their digital agency, DT — who described the concept as: “Immersive volumetric persistence of vision people powered cup spinner,” now known as the HondaTrope (and affectionately known at Big Kahuna as “the cup spinner”).

Brought together by brand experience agency PLAY Communication, the HondaTrope is a cutting-edge experience using the latest digital and engineering technology which must be ridden to be fully understood.

The HondaTrope ConceptThe concept centres on a bespoke spinning cup, custom engineered from the ground up (cue: Big Kahuna Imagineering).  Surrounded by 24 vertical LED light poles, festival patrons sit inside the cup and begin to spin around. Once they reach an optimal speed, the surrounding lights slowly reveal a hidden garden seen only by those inside the HondaTrope.

Positioned in the heart of the Honda Festival Garden in Hyde Park, the HondaTrope is based on the concept of anthropotropism, the principle that technologies work better when they respect the nature of the human body and mind.  With padded seating for three, the cup is designed to enable festival patrons to share the joyful experience.

Honda Australia Director and General Manager of Sales and Marketing, Mr. Stephen Collins said the installation is an exciting addition to the Honda Festival Garden.  “The HondaTrope is an innovative and creative installation that pushes the boundaries of engineering and technology and really demonstrates the power of clever thinking. The partnership with Honda and the Sydney Festival has resulted in creating a world-first experience that reflects what the festival is all about – creativity, art, and collaboration – but most of all, having fun.”

The HondaTrope was a highlight of the Honda Festival Garden during the 2013 Sydney Festival.

Once the elements were welded and ready for assembly, the two-part steel base went together first and the ballast put in place before the steel-framed cup was affixed.
Once the elements were welded and ready for assembly, the two-part steel base went together first and the ballast put in place before the steel-framed cup was affixed.
With seating for three, the cup is designed to enable festival patrons to share the joyful experience.
With seating for three, the cup is designed to enable festival patrons to share the joyful experience.
10 cubic metres of woodchips were used to fill in the 16-metre space between the radial ground beams to eliminate any trip hazard while still keeping with the overall garden theme.
10 cubic metres of woodchips were used to fill in the 16-metre space between the radial ground beams to eliminate any trip hazard while still keeping with the overall garden theme.
Working with Honda’s digital agency DT, and Play Communication, it's one of the latest projects to exit the Big Kahuna workshop... an experiential campaign that invites you to step into a giant spinning cup and experience a secret garden that you can only see while spinning at a certain speed on the ride.
Working with Honda’s digital agency DT, and PLAY Communication, the HondaTrope is one of the latest projects to exit the Big Kahuna workshop… an experiential campaign that invites you to step into a giant spinning cup and experience a secret garden that you can only see while spinning at a certain speed on the ride.
The HondaTrope is a cutting-edge experience using the latest digital and engineering technology which must be ridden to fully understand.
The HondaTrope is a cutting-edge experience using the latest digital and engineering technology which must be ridden to fully understand.
The brief: A people-powered cup spinner.
The brief: A people-powered cup spinner.  Result: Success.

An Electrifying Product Launch

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Holden Volt Interactive Installation for Product LaunchClient:  Holden
Agency:  URBAN
Brief:  “Electrify” the launch of Holden’s new electric car with an interactive installation

URBAN approached Big Kahuna to help them launch the Volt — Holden’s long-range electric car.

The brief was to imagineer the concept that URBAN sold to Holden — an interactive Volt game with the new car’s logo. To trigger the “buzz” about Australia’s first long-range electric car, URBAN pitched a dual-purpose build that would entice passers-by to engage with the brand through an interactive version of “Buzz” by day and serve as a glowing advertisement by night.

While the concept was there, a few questions remained such as the effects of wet weather, how it would appeal to all ages, what does a “buzz” trigger in the public’s response, how to demonstrate the car’s electric characteristics in daylight and so on.

Production drawings to match the Volt logo and take into account the size of the lettering to accommodate participants of various heights were output.

Holden Volt Interactive Installation-letter TThe logo was constructed from 316 grade stainless steel enabling, structurally, a massive span for the continuous 40mm SHS cantilevered, electrified track. The letters were assembled with connectors so that they could be dismantled for easy storage and transport.  The logo-circuit/ artwork was then affixed via heavy-duty steel tangs at either end of the aluminum composite clad steel base box. Engineering all okay… it was on with the dressage!

Holden Volt Interactive InstallationThe low-voltage LED strip lighting around the perimeter looked brilliant at night. In play,  as a participant touched the logo with the metal wand, they simply closed the normally open circuit. Integrated relays switched the lighting from the lettering to the lightning bolt (illustrated left) accompanied by an über-annoying and very loud custom gang of buzzers we concocted.

As a massive skill-tester (at 5-metres long), each participant was given three chances to run the metal wand from one side of the logo to the other as quickly as they could without setting off the buzzer.  The best performing participant of the hour received movie passes or a magazine subscription and the best performing participant of the day won an iPad mini.  (Rumour has it, the score to beat was 7 seconds!)

With each activation, Big Kahuna managed the transport, logistics and installation. Throughout December, the installation was found in Queensbridge Square, Fed Square (VIC), Bondi Beach and Martin Place (NSW).

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Interactive Installation built by BKI for Holden Product LaunchInteractive Installation built by BKI for Holden Product Launch

Giant Logo for Warner Bros. Event

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Client:  Warner Bros.
Creative Director:  Al Weekes
Brief:  3D model of the Warner Bros. logo for corporate event

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Wanting a glamorous ‘Jeff Koons’ style model of the iconic Warner Bros. logo, Creative Director Al Weekes came to Big Kahuna for a high-quality production.

The brief was to fabricate a 1-metre-tall, 3-dimensional WB logo to sit on the bar at a corporate cocktail party.  Some considerations included whether the logo would be flat or angled, how the connection between the “W” and “B” would be hidden, and how the very pointy bottom end of the logo would be installed so that the model could stand upright.

After hot-wire cutting the components from polystyrene, Big Kahuna hard-coated the elements in a strengthening epoxy and installed metal rods for structural support before painting the model with carefully-mixed, custom paint colours to complement the event’s overall theme.BKI-WB Logo-2a

As the project developed, the brief evolved from a highly-metallic, ‘Jeff Koons’ style finish to a more sparkly, glitter finish.  So the painting process Big Kahuna implemented was two part — first applying a matte colour, then spraying an even coat of clear, glitter.

Finally, the letters were spaced and supported by inconspicuous clear rods and the model was accompanied by a laser-cut steel base to give it ballast and stability.

The overall result was fantastic!

 

Aussie-Inspired Trophies for FMX Legends

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Last month Sydney played host to the Grande Finale of the Red Bull X-Fighters — one of the world’s biggest and most respected freestyle motocross tours — for the second time and Big Kahuna Imagineering was proud to be there again to equip the winners with some Aussie-inspired trophies.

Kastner and Partners returned to Big Kahuna to create trophies in the shape of Akubra hats adorned with an X-Fighters badge and motorbike chain bands for the top three winners of the World Final.  We wanted a metal aesthetic without the cold, rigidness to allow the winners to actually wear their trophies.   So we used authentic Akubras and motorbike chains but with a few Big Kahuna tricks of the trade and achieved a fantastic result.

The dramatic showdown was one of the closest finishes in the 12-year history of the event with Levi Sherwood squeaking past Thomas Pagès and last year’s big winner Josh Sheehan to claim his first Red Bull X-Fighters World Tour title.

After the dust settled, these FMX legends stood tall over Cockatoo Island wearing their Akubra trophies with pride.