PepsiMoji
LOVE: From Cave to Keyboard
Scroll
Emoji, the tiny pictures which have swept our modern culture and given rise to a universal form of communication, have the power to express emotions and thoughts beyond the reach of words. With one keystroke, they can tell the tale of delight and anger, laughter and befuddlement, joy and pride.
Yes indeed - a picture can be worth a thousand words. The ❤️ {the most commonly used emoji worldwide} expresses only three; but they are three of the most important words of all: I LOVE YOU.
Play Sizzle
As a brand with epic global reach, Pepsi embraced a language which can be communicated beyond borders. In 2016, they launched a worldwide marketing campaign surrounding their own playful custom Emoji keyboard: PepsiMoji. To celebrate World Emoji Day, Pepsi tapped ZOē Productions to curate and create an experience to bring the campaign to life in a completely immersive, unique, and press-worthy manner.
In July, “Love: From Cave to Keyboard, Imagined by Pepsi™,” a first-of-its-kind interactive museum exhibit popped up on an unassuming corner of Broadway in New York. One day, a completely raw and industrial space, the next: an unexpected adventure for New Yorkers to step out of the daily grind and delve into a time and place filled with LOVE.
At the museum, visitors explored the many ways throughout history humans have been using non-verbal means of communication to get to the heart of the matter, when it comes to matters of the heart.
Each exhibit was concepted and created from the ground up by the ZOē and Pepsi teams to encourage thoughtful interaction, social sharing, and a deep appreciation of an unexpected experience.
With an underlying knowledge of how effective a live, 360-degree experience can be in telling any story, ZOē Productions played upon 5 senses, plus the power of imagination, in crafting the museum experience. A smoke signal station encouraged tactile connections, a VR cave used modern technology to dive into ancient imagery, and a sensory music stop wafted aromas through the air (such as chocolate during a love song, or rain during a sad song) to tap into the subconscious and emotional connections communicated through smell.
Other highlights include:
- An Art Deco-style theatre-built-for-two showcasing the glorious era of silent film
- An ‘Illustrations and Icons’ exhibit featuring the iconic Betty Boop, blowing kisses at the crowd via augmented reality
- An intriguing and avant-guard vignette featuring the intensely beautiful expression of sign language. The silent performance depicted a simple story of young love and starred the cast of the Tony-nominated Deaf West production of “Spring Awakening”
- A custom developed facial recognition social sharing booth, translating live facial expressions into PepsiMoji designs
A VIP soiree opened the exhibit, with celebs such as Maggie Gyllenhaal (who narrated the silent film created for the exhibit), Andrew Rannells, Kellen Lutz, and Olivia Palermo donning the red carpet. The pop-up museum was open to the public for one weekend only, but its reach went far and wide.
While the concept of a ‘pop-up’ is becoming more and more common in the world of brand marketing - consumers often find themselves lured into an exciting new space, only to be inundated with over-the-top ‘experiential advertising.’ Yet “Love: Cave to Keyboard, Imagined by Pepsi” offered a unique proposition… a chance to experience the essence and spirit of a brand, while genuinely absorbing new knowledge and reveling in an emotional, unexpected, and ultimately memorable, experience.