Project Overview
GPJ’s job for the Melbourne Cup 2012 Emirates Birdcage was to create a corporate hospitality event of the highest order.
The installation was to capture all the distinctive service of the Emirates brand and to position the airline as an enabler of global connectivity and meaningful experiences, through the marquee’s luxe and engaging design.
The marquee would give guests a chance to experience first-hand, how it feels to live like a well-travelled VIP “globalista”.
Project Commissioner
Project Creator
Team
Commissioner: Emirates
Producer: Nigel Ruffell, GPJ
Designer: Bradley Boyce, GPJ
Project Brief
Emirates asked us to highlight Dublin as the year’s hero destination; and to design an Irish-themed marquee of beauty, equity and style.
An “event experience” that would reinforce no matter where you come from or where you are going – there would always be someone to hold your hand, speak your language and who understands your needs.
Dramatic backdrops would capture all the stories, magic and laughter of Ireland; its strategic design would offer a bird’s eye view of all the race action; whilst food would be simple and delicious; perfectly prepared and flawlessly served.
Above all, the marquee would provide the gold standard of service and attention that a traveller receives on an Emirates flight.
Project Innovation/Need
The marquee would have three purposes. Firstly, it would serve as an “experiential” brand beacon for Emirates; secondly as a media broadcast centre; and thirdly as an exclusive VIP hotspot attracting the biggest names in business as well as Hollywood celebrities, politicians and supermodels.
Design Challenge
With Emirates’ based in Dubai – the “city of height and light” – we first needed to lengthen the marquee legs to create a towering structure befitting the Emirates brand.
Light box window views of the Irish countryside would transport guests right to the Emerald Isle; while an impressive library, cobbled streets and a candy buffet, dressed with thousands of lollies, all amped up the visual drama.
A team of hairdressers, make-up artists and Emirates cabin crew, would anticipate guests' every need and a living statue of James Joyce was a design feat of Ulyssian proportions, leaving even Kevin Rudd to wonder just how the mechanical support we built allowed the statue to defy gravity.
To create “noise” against competing Cup brands, we used all of GPJ’s music production skills (GPJ delivered the early ARIAs and 26 APRA awards) to produce Brian McFadden’s live performance. We also integrated a space for a My Kitchen Rules live segment.
With an endless flow of Guinness and champagne – this movable design feast would ensure it wasn’t just Irish eyes that were smiling.
Future Impact
As GPJ had created the Birdcage for Emirates for the four years previously, we were committed to reusing as many raw materials as we could.
We used the same ceiling liner from last year (for the internationally award-winning St Petersburg Emirates marquee); whilst the bar was made from thousands of old books hired from a film prop company for reuse.
All of the custom-built furniture made for the event was sent to rehire and sold afterwards, further increasing the life cycle of the furniture. All in line with GPJ’s sustainable technology motto that sending (to someone else!) is better than ending.
Service - Corporate
This award celebrates creative and innovative solution design for the successful delivery and provision of services. Consideration given to system integration, user experience, product design
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