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A note from our owner, Patricia Pearson:

If you haven’t heard, we are made Event Marketer’s Fab50 list! Which, I am going to say is kind of a big deal as this is our first time being recognized in the event fabrication industry. Our roots have been in Out of Home advertising, where for over 40 years, we have designed and built some of the wildest props and special effects.  We continue to transition as the industry changes.  Atomic has slowly been serving a broader market including experiential and offering more technology integration as all of the advertising industry changes. 

We are honored to be known as a top-tier, innovative fabricator. And if I can recognize those deserving of the recognition it would be the whole of Atomic Props & Effects.  Our clients push the creative envelope on a daily basis, but it is the talents of the team of people here that make the job look easy.  Our entire staff deserves to take a bow on this one.

Enjoy our case study and video on the project that helped to earn us this award, Trolls the Experience.

 

The Project:

Our clients, Feld Entertainment and BeCore wanted to bring the magic of Trolls to New York City. In addition, they wanted to create a buzz in anticipation of a new Trolls movie releasing in 2020. The concept for the experience was replicating the Trolls Village with fun experiences for families and children.

The Challenge:

Design, fabricate and install a 15,000 sq ft experience in the heart of New York City – in less than 8 months.

The Process:

We started out by listening to our clients’ wants and wishes for the experience. Our team went out to NYC to perform a site visit, take measurements and walk the space with the client. From there, our team of designers developed the concept, aesthetic, and traffic flow of the space. Throughout the design phase, we kept an open dialogue with our clients to ensure the designs matched their vision.

Fabrication consisted of over 100 props for the space. This included licensed characters from the movie, larger props like a replica of the Troll Tree and other stand out centerpieces for each room, and many cabinetries to add to the functionality of the experience. With the high volume of props going through our shop, we maintained quality and efficiency with CAD drawings for each prop and a detailed production schedule.

Our team also flew out to New York to oversee the installation of the props and to coordinate with the other vendors providing assets for the experience.

The Results:

The finished experience had a total of seven zones with activities. Here are a few of the highlights.

Lady Glitter Sparkles Salon & Barber Shop – We fabricated custom salon stations for the troll makeovers.

Musical Mashup – We fabricated exact replicas of licensed characters from the movie and embedded them with touch sensors that triggered sound effects.

The Caterbus – Fabricated a 30’ long caterpillar that would blow confetti around inside for kids to catch.

Bergen Town – Fabricated a 15’ tall replica of the troll tree.

 

Check out our video to see the full experience.

If you haven’t seen the plethora of articles written about the Renaissance of Out-of-Home Advertising, OOH has had a resurgence in popularity. The means of connecting brands to consumers are more diverse than ever. But more diversity means more work upfront to ensure your message will be delivered to the intended audience. Here are our top 5 tips for using location to maximize your OOH campaign.

 

1.  Pick an iconic location to make a big impression.

Location is one of the biggest ingredients in determining the success of a campaign – and often underutilized. Densely populated areas, like Sunset Strip and Times Square, are the quintessential OOH Advertising locations. These are great locations for many brands but it’s not a one size fits all solution. Brands need to pick locations convenient to their target audience to maximize their campaign success.

There are iconic advertising spots in every state across the country. This billboard location has displayed spectaculars for the past 20 years! Including the ever-popular, retro Yahoo! billboard. It is also one of the last boards in the San Francisco area that allows embellishments.

Segment is a San Francisco based software company, so incorporating technology into this build was a no brainer. The postcard theme is Segment’s way of paying homage to San Francisco, a town they love.

• We used a new printing technology to create the day/night color change effect.
• The 3D ‘Segment’ letters are LED lightboxes that has over 16.5 million color options to change the look of their name.
• LED reader box allows for messages to be changed in a few clicks.

 

2. Surprise! Let the creative become part of the location.

  

An advertisement that can take advantage of its’ location by interacting with the environment is a double winner! Using 3D props in tandem with 2D advertisements is just one way to make pedestrians take a second look in this otherwise dull downtown parking lot.  A walk to work can become a happy and memorable event.

 

3. Pick a location convenient for your target audience.

Go to where your audience is! If they happen to be on spring break, take the message on vacation, too.  This takes some studying to know your audience, but the rewards can be A+. Naked Turtle Rum reached their target audience by bringing a classic drinking game to spring breakers on the beach creating a very positive interaction with the brand.

 

 

4. Pick a location that will disrupt the status quo.

We all expect our day to go a certain way. And when it doesn’t it can be frustrating or it can be surprisingly entertaining and photo-worthy. In this high-profile location, commuters were not expecting more than the usual traffic jams. This ax for World of Warcraft magically appeared before the busy New York morning commute. Because the activation was so impressive and disruptive, it grabbed the attention of those who were unfamiliar with the brand and strengthened the connection with those who already love the game.  News of the activation quickly became a syndicated headline.

 

5. Pick a location that allows interaction with your customers. 

Giving your brand as much positive face-time as possible with their customer is a good thing for the bottom line. For this video game client, Blizzcon, a massive gaming conference in California was a perfect fit. Gamers know their game characters well and Probius was no exception. This usually animated character was given a 3-D life when he was fabricated to interact with fans. Fit with lights, sound, remote control, and a live streaming device gave fans time to get to know Probius off-screen. This prop was instantly recognized by all at the event because of the perfect location choice.

 

We hope these tips will help you when choosing a location for your next campaign! Remember that location is just as important as the message you have to share.

Have questions? Need a quote for your next campaign? Let’s get in touch.

info@atomicprops.com

 

And why you need the right vendors in your corner

Feld Entertainment is one of the largest live production companies in the nation. They serve audiences of all ages through their exciting, traveling, live shows. Their lineup of spectacular shows earned them the contract from Universal Studios to develop, manage and fabricate an interactive experience for Dreamworks’ Trolls.

Read More…

One Stop Shop or Just a Prop

What roadblocks are you facing when it comes to producing activations? Did your client decide at the eleventh hour that they DO want a 3D activation in a seemingly impossible timeframe? Did another fabricator you hired completely drop the ball? Are you planning world domination and you don’t have time to oversee every aspect of production? Or are you smooth sailing but need one prop to complete your campaign?

Lucky for you, we have solutions and we wanted to touch on a few ways we can serve YOU in 2019.

• Our customer service is top notch. We have extensive knowledge of the industry and are happy to share our experience and fill in the blanks.

• One stop shop or just a prop, we can do as much or as little as you need.

• We work well with other vendors. Even if we are a small facet of your master plan, we can coordinate with others to ensure your event is a hit.

• Our props are of the highest quality. Meaning, you’re going to look like a rock star.

At the end of the day, we live to serve and we want to see you succeed! So get our number on speed dial and call us when you’re ready to create memorable brand experiences.