ANZ Virtual Garden Compounds Interest
The brief was somewhat of a blank canvas but with clear intent: design content for an 11m-high screen at the centre of ANZ’s new flagship branch in Martin Place, Sydney. Something that would serve as a brand statement, be the talking point for customer interactions, have universal appeal, complement the building’s architectural elements and run continuously throughout the day.
Realising the limitations of traditional video content, it was Deloitte Digital that was keen to push the brief and create something more rich and dynamic — an installation that would evolve throughout the year and beyond.
After much brainstorming, the ANZ Virtual Garden was proposed: a vision of an ever-changing lush virtual ecosystem that adapts to the outside light from morning to afternoon to night, with foliage that transforms with the seasons and responds to the ambient weather. Leaves appear to sway in the breeze, a waterfall swells with virtual raindrops, and shadows or sunbeams reflect passing clouds.
A digital take on the more traditional ‘vertical garden’, the Virtual Garden is a permanent dynamic installation that displays an evolving 3D animation driven by location-based data and clever social media interactions.
“There’s nothing quite like it anywhere else,” says Daniel Cheong-See, National Creative Director at Deloitte Digital.
It’s not just a 3D rich display either; customers can tweet #ANZVirtualGarden to request a variety of creatures and objects to appear within the environment and adjust their colour and intensity. From different flower types, birds, mushrooms, a variety of insects, and even a waterfall — customers are given control to customise the wall to their liking. It is a celebration of ANZ’s brand philosophy of ‘Your World. Your Way.’
The ANZ Virtual Garden is built in Unity, a multi-platform game engine, which supports the live data that feeds the custom software and results in the ever-changing digital display.
Technically, the Virtual Garden required thorough development, logic and testing to ensure the concept would function autonomously as intended over constant operation.
Carolyn Bendall, ANZ’s Head of Marketing, was extremely satisfied with the end result: “We felt the concept of the Virtual Garden helped us demonstrate ANZ’s commitment to integrating technology and innovation into the customer experience.”
Right from its initial launch, the ANZ Virtual Garden has come to life with a large feed of customer tweets. It is clear that the wall has achieved its intention of enhancing the customer in-branch experience through ‘surprise and delight’.
Customers have been sharing tweets, photos and videos of their requests brought to life on the wall. Branch staff have also reported that the Virtual Garden is a common talking point for visiting customers and their ‘favourite part of the branch’.
Deloitte Digital: www.deloittedigital.com/au