The Ovei Pod, A Personal Cocoon In Various Forms From Artist-Decorated to Gaming.

above: Designer Lee McCormack with the Vince Fraser decorated Ovei (more pics later in the post)

The Ovei Pod is a self contained unit with a built-in 5.1. surround sound system, variable lighting control, climate control, luxury leather seating and the latest flat screen technology.








Way back in 2002, British designer Lee McCormack conceived the first, embryonic form of the Ovei. With ‘i-pod’ already registered by Apple, he instead called it the ‘Oculas’:



In 2005 discussions began with McLaren Applied Technologies – the specialised design & technology division within the McLaren Group – culminating in the all-new Ovei. Various customizable versions, specially designed SPA versions, gaming versions, branded versions and artfully decorated ones (like the one by Vince Fraser shown further down in this post) have since been designed.



In addition to the black and white ones shown, the Ovei can be produced in various colors:

And various styles:


“Ovei is inspired by the evolution of modern architecture, design and technology during the past twenty years. The underlying concept, is a sanctuary for the individual. It’s not about isolation or disconnection, it’s about nurturing inner wellness and strength. Focused and invigorated we perform better and become more resilient to the aggressive demands of modern life. The Ovei is now recognised by renowned architects and designers as a perfect compliment modern residential and commercial projects”.-Lee McCormack.

Designer McCormack in his Ovei:


The Ovei Pod at the 2009 Monaco Yacht Show:



The HALO 3 Gaming Ovei:


F1 Racer Lewis Hamilton in the Johnnie Walker Ovei:


Vince Fraser's 3D Ovei:

Vince Fraser with his decorated Ovei:

Vince Fraser 3D Ovei photographs by Christoffer Rudquist.

See Vince Fraser's promotional film for his Limited Edition 3D Ovei here.

Ron Dennis, the Chairman and CEO of the McLaren Group, sits in the Ovei 8 elements Wellbeing Capsule:


The Ovei pod has appeared in multiple exhibitions like the London Science Museum’s Fast Forward F1 technology exhibition:


Acoustics.
The Ovei format creates a perfect 5.1 surround sound environment; the interior has an acoustic surface design treatment supported by optimal material density.

Visuals.
The main viewing screen is positioned at an optimal 60cm from the user. Where necessary, additional side and control interface screens provide surround viewing.

Seating.
The seating position is designed to support the length of the body, reducing stress on the back for maximum comfort. The reclined position is surrounded by armrests, touch screen capabilities, work surface and screen positioning to facilitate the optimal work, play or rest conditions.

Encapsulation.
Ovei is a fully enclosed environment. Optional windows allow use within environments like schools, where a clear view of occupants is needed. As an encapsulated environment all external distractions are removed. This enables greater cognitive application to the task at hand.

Mobility.
Ovei is a plug and play device that can be transported and placed in almost any environment indoors or, in some cases, outdoors. Ovei can be deployed to remove the need to build traditional room environments. It is lightweight, easy to dismantle and erect, robust and hardwearing. It requires only 1m by 2m floor space.

Technology.
The design and engineering of Ovei focus on creating the perfect experiential environment for the user. The team’s approach to technology is one of facilitation; Ovei can incorporate most types and formats of existing consumer technology. In instances where Ovei is required for a specific function, the design team has created bespoke hardware and software.

Modular Design.
Ovei has been designed for maximum application flexibility. The device accommodates one, two or three people by addition or removal of extension modules. The interior works on a modular basis, transforming easily between videoconferencing, flight simulation, diagnostics, gaming, marketing etc. Mobile devices are supported by updating the mobile device module.

Branding.
Ovei offers a comprehensive suite of branding opportunities.

Exterior:
Window branding
Half exterior
Full exterior
Floor placement mat
Exterior Screen
Sponsors Placard Stand

Interior:
Seating fabric
Table area
Screen, speakers, and control devices

Screen based branding:
Corner logo permanent
Star-up screen welcome
Sign off screen message
Banner advertising
Interface screen branding
Advertising Commercials

Other:
Bluetooth Broadcasting
Augmented Reality Tools

The Ovei team will work with you to configure, install and support suitable capsules. In exchange for sharing your findings with us, the agreement gives you market sector exclusivity to use Ovei for the period of the trial.

Demonstration kiosk showcasing software, hardware or media? Point-of-Sale? Promotional device? Brand-building tool? Creative workspace? Everything is possible.

To discuss your ideas or proposals and for full commercial trial detail, get in touch.

Ovei

The Specialized McLaren Venge, Fastest Complete Performance Bike In The World.

The new S-Works + McLaren Venge is the result of a partnership between Specialized and McLaren that brings the advanced materials and carbon layup design that McLaren has employed in their F1-winning race cars into the world of racing bikes.




The first carbon road race bike from Specialized with an aerodynamic design, the S-Works Venge was the brainchild of Chris D'Aluisio and the Specialized engineering team. This design was then refined further through the McLaren partnership.


In working with McLaren engineers, the S-Works+McLaren Venge maintained identical aerodynamics and stiffness, yet achieved an even lighter weight through its extremely advanced carbon layup design. After over four years of development, testing and over twenty trips to various wind tunnels, the S-Works Venge is the first Specialized bike to achieve the winning formula of weight, stiffness and aerodynamics.

details:







Available Venge Models:

S-Works Venge DA, $9200
With its no-compromise formula of ultralight weight, exceptional stiffness, and stealthy aerodynamics, the Venge created an entirely new road category: Complete Performance. Throw in Pro Tour-proven Shimano Dura-Ace components, and this bike will elevate you—and Team HTC-Highroad—to a whole new level:



S-Works Venge SRAM RED, $8800
With its no-compromise formula of ultralight weight, exceptional stiffness, and stealthy aerodynamics, the Venge created an entirely new road category: Complete Performance. Throw in Pro Tour-proven SRAM RED components, and this bike will elevate you—and teams Astana and Saxo Bank—to a whole new level:

images courtesy of Specialized, McLaren and VeloDramatic
Learn more here

Stunning Sapporo Beer Ad, Website And Game Combine Live Action & Animation.

This has got to be one of the most beautiful ads I've ever seen. This award-winning two minute video -and its web counterpart- for Sapporo Beer combines live action with animation to tell the story of the brand and brewing history of the Japanese beer.



Created by Dentsu, Canada in 2010, the two minute spot was co-directed by Mark Zibert of Sons and Daughters and Gary Thomas of Crush. It took over a month to shoot this creative film on location in Guangzhou, China.



“We looked at a few techniques off the top,” says Zibert. “We first considering creating the entire spot with motion control and CG. Then experimenting with projecting 2D art/matt paintings onto geometry (developed by Crush Sean Cochrane) and finding it had a unique quality to make this campaign stand apart. So the spot is not entirely photo or CG or 2D illustration, but a combination of all three,” adds Zibert.

a few screen grabs of the spot so you can see some of the beautiful imagery:










The video has also been edited down for a series of 15-second TV commercials, as well as a 60-second spot.

“We wanted something distinctly Sapporo and wanted to go through the heritage and the brewing process and combine the Japanese flavour but take it beyond sushi and make it mainstream,” said Glen Hunt, creative catalyst, Dentsu Canada.

The campaign is the first full-scale national effort in Canada and the first of any sort for the Toronto-based agency since taking the account over in January 2009. Sleeman had not worked with a full-service agency since 2007, when Doug (now Doug & Serge) held agency of record status.

The campaign took one and a half years of planning, and six months to shoot. The agency developed five distinct campaign ideas before narrowing it down to three, which were presented to the client, said Hunt.

“Each one of them had a wonderful response [but] ‘Legendary’ was their favourite,” he said.

Parts of the ad were shot in China in front of a green screen, and then brought back to Toronto where each shot was placed in position on a “map painting” and given a “3D type effect so that it created depth,” said Hunt.

Dentsu also assisted Concrete in the design of a new 500 ml can that features Japanese script meaning “premium” and the historic Sapporo “north” star embossed on the front.

“We know our consumers not only demand a high quality product, but also a brand that conveys attributes that appeal to their individuality,” said Kenny Sadai, president and CEO of Sleeman Breweries, in a release. “We felt tapping into the brand’s Japanese heritage and bringing to life the essence of ‘Biru’ would further illustrate those qualities.”




THE INTERACTIVE WEBSITE



Sapporo launched a microsite with a contest that asked consumers to locate the hidden scrolls placed throughout the video for a chance at a trip to Japan. The trip has already been awarded but you can still play the game and explore the site to find the hidden 'scrolls'.



Working with Dentsu, Lollipop created the site to support the launch of the Legendary Biru campaign for Sapporo Beer.



The site itself is centered on a character – the Sage – that is the keeper of the legend of Sapporo. He leads visitors on a ‘treasure hunt’ through the site where the goal is to collect a number of hidden scrolls. Some are easy to find and tell a brief story about the beer, while others are well hidden and require diligence to unlock. Those who reach the end of the journey are given a message tailored to the number of scrolls they’ve discovered, while those who manage to collect all 15 scrolls are entered to win a trip to Japan.


Check it out at legendarybiru.com.

Lollipop designed and built the site, in addition to shooting the sage video. Sons & Daughters shot the live action, while Crush created the CG, mattes and final compositing. Sons & Daughters and Crush managed production, Lollipop was responsible for the interactive, and Grayson Matthews created the music featured in the spot. Credits: Title: "Legendary Biru" Agency: Dentsu Canada, Inc. City: Toronto Campaign: Legendary Biru Advertiser: Sapporo Breweries Ltd. Brand: Sapporo Type: Television Length: 120 seconds Market: Canada Creative Director: Mr. Glen Hunt Creative Director: Les Soos Art Director: Les Soos Art Director: Mr. David Glen Copywriter: Mr. Dhaval Bhatt Copywriter: Mr. Glen Hunt Director: Mr. Mark Zibert Director: Mr. Gary Thomas Production Company: Sons & Daughters Production Company: Crush Account Director: Mr. Tim Binkley Agency Producer: Ms. Sharon Kosokowsky Post Production: Crush Music Company / Composer: Grayson Matthews Information, text and images courtesy of Creativity-Online, Sapporo, Lollipop and Adland  

 Special thanks to Thom Cordner for bringing the spot to my attention.