In a constantly changing world, where new challenges require new solutions, global digital agency DEPT® believes that pioneers are needed to do the things that have never been done before. Today, the agency is launching ‘Prepare to Pioneer’, an integrated campaign that encompasses this ethos, and communicates its expanded scale & service offering in the UK.
At a time when resourcefulness and innovation are more needed than ever by brands to stay ahead, ‘Prepare to Pioneer’ is a rallying cry for all of those who are, like DEPT®, disrupting and exploring new frontiers of technology and marketing.
The campaign spans across digital out-of-home, including placements at the iconic Old St Roundabout in the heart of London’s tech and creative cluster, social, and an AR landmarker set over the agency’s new London office on City Road. The campaign will also be activated through a series of media and event partnerships throughout the year, and the team has also designed an exclusive line of branded merchandising complete with integrated AR markers.
AI-fuelled wayfinder
At the heart of the ‘Prepare to Pioneer’ campaign is an AI-fuelled wayfinder experience, which encourages users to discover their Pioneering profile. Through a take on the well-known mechanics of fortune-telling, it takes users on a journey that offers a very unique twist on the traditional process of content curation, combining it with an innovative storytelling experience.
Once users log on, they are greeted by an abstract, genderless face called ‘Entity’, that will host the experience. ‘Entity’ is made of AI-generated particles and represents the ever-changing face of technology. Users have two options: to read or be read. Readers can independently browse expert-curated content to demystify the marketing or technology they are interested in. Those who choose to ‘be read’ are guided through a Chat GPT-3-powered experience to garner their professional and personal interests, which simultaneously builds a bespoke pioneer profile, and recommends curated content unique to the user, in line with their personal interests and preferences.
Innovation and disruption
“At DEPT®, innovation and disruption are at the core of what we do; bringing marketing and technology together in a unique blend that differs from all the other agencies who focus more on one over the other,” said Jeff Bowerman, Executive Creative Director, DEPT®. “At a time of constant change, where resourcefulness and innovation are more needed than ever, this campaign portrays our ability to solve complex problems.”
“AI has the power to transform how we work and how we create. We latched on to the idea of pioneers being those who are endlessly curious. So we took a stab at leveraging some of these technologies and offering a very unique twist at the more conventional process of presenting content curation to users”, said Henry Daubrez, CEO of Dogstudio/DEPT®, who led the development of the AI wayfinder for this campaign.
The campaign builds on consecutive years of impressive growth; in the past two years, DEPT®’s revenue in the UK grew 400% to over £50m, and now the global digital agency is supercharging its offering in the UK by integrating all of its teams under one brand.
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