United Technologies Corporation (UTC) is a leader in the aerospace industry. With more than 200,000 employees and $60B in revenue, their portfolio of businesses spans geographies, markets and customer relationships. UTC tasked Firstborn and sister-agency MKTG to develop a high-impact, interactive digital experience to showcase its brand positioning and breadth of products at the 2018 Farnborough International Airshow.
The biggest event in the industry, Farnborough attracts over 73,000 attendees including UTC’s most important purchase decision makers--air framers, airlines, MRO centers, international military delegations, government delegations and suppliers. From tip to tail, we had to establish UTC and its aerospace businesses as an industry leader by using engaging digital technologies to showcase and elevate the company’s innovative products, data-driven platforms and robust service solutions.
In the past, UTC’s Farnborough exhibits also had been a mixture of mostly hardware with some digital displays. This year, we brought the brand to life with a digital-first showcase entitled "Innovating an Extraordinary Future," that used immersive video, digital touch-screen technology and augmented reality with 3D-printed models, to enable visitors to learn about more than 50 product and service offerings in a multi-sensory experience.
Visitors were greeted by a floor-to-ceiling video wall projecting inspirational images of aerospace technology in action.
They could learn more about specific products and systems offered by Pratt & Whitney and UTC Aerospace Systems by simply touching one of six, interactive multi-media pillars. These free-standing, digital learning hubs provided detailed information, videos, and 360-degree models of UTC’s latest aerospace offerings, including jet engines, military ejection seats and more.
Enthusiasts who wanted to drill down into an aircraft’s inner systems were given specially-loaded iPads and encouraged to use the device as an augmented reality viewer as they walked around 3D-printed aircraft models. Touching on a series of designated "hot spots" located on the aircraft then transported the viewer into the inner workings of the plane’s systems. We designed the experience to emphasize the increasingly digitally-connected systems that are redefining the aerospace industry today.
We delivered an engaging experience that clearly articulated and elevated UTC’s offerings to a diverse range of attendees. The experience contributed to UTC’s third quarter sales of $16.5B—up 10% over the prior year, including 8 points of organic sales growth.