W+K Amsterdam's Moscow State of Mind

Consumers at a Moscow mall last week were given the opportunity to see how far their minds could take them as part of a unique experiential campaign set up for S7 Airlines.

The Imagination Machine used EEG-technology to turn participants’ brains into game controllers and put the wonders of the world in the grasp of anyone who could stay focussed on the idea of their dream destination.

Created by Wieden+Kennedy Amsterdam in collaboration with Tellart, the experience saw fans challenged to steer a small plane on a large two-meter projection-mapped globe for the Russian carrier’s ‘Fly to any place you can imagine’ campaign.

Starting halfway around the globe, each participant had 45-seconds to make it to their chosen destination. Once the game began two paths appeared on the globe – the ideal flight path that takes you to your destination fastest, and a flight path that follows the user’s level of focus. The more focussed the user was on their dream place the closer the plane remained to the ideal flight path.

When players got distracted the plane veered off course, but those who remained focussed and managed to guid the plane all the way won actual return trips to wherever they'd stated.

“Although measuring these tiny electrical impulses in your brain and calculating them in real-time to a flight path is incredibly technical, we focussed throughout the creative process on keeping the end user experience very simple,” says Kelsie Van Deman, W+K Amsterdam head of interactive production.

"It is incredible to live in a time when we can access almost every corner of our planet through sensors, video feeds and global communications that are practically free,” adds Matt Cottam, CCO at Tellart Amsterdam. “Even with the highest-fidelity connections, the sense of virtual presence in a remote location will always pale in comparison to the real experience of being there–the sounds of a street, the smell of food, the light, the faces of strangers. The Imagination Machine combines sensing with a digital Earth and the exciting opportunity to travel the real world in its entire colour."

The Imagination Machine stunt was held last week in Moscow’s Afimall City mall. Over 200 people took part throughout the day, with 50 participants winning a round trip to their dream destination along with 5,000 S7 Airlines miles. Those who took part, but who weren’t successful in landing their plane also walked away with 5,000 air miles.