Land O'Lakes, Inc.

SXSW Experiential Design

TruthWow

Part think tank and part social experiment, The Copernicus Project exposed SXSW attendees to a new truth: Humans aren’t the top of the food chain. The activation engaged people with unique experiences that informed, amused and inspired. Guests explored important issues while having serious fun. It shifted people’s perspectives on food and changed how they saw Land O’Lakes.

Two people looking at the Land O'Lakes biodiversity activation at South By Southwest

Visual Storytelling. The Copernicus Project was more than an activation, it was a movement with its own visual language. It started with our logo, which paid homage to Copernicus’ discovery of the heliocentric model of our solar system.

South by southwest The Coperincus Project Logo

A bright color palette was selected to represent our optimistic view of the future. We even created a set of patterns that represented each of the four incredible installations inside the space.

The Copernicus Project at South by Southwest full-page ad in The Washington Post

To get the word out about The Copernicus Project, we created a host of printed collateral, including a full-page ad in The Washington Post.

Inside The Copernicus Project Experiential Activation
One person looking at the Land O'Lakes biodiversity activation at South By Southwest
Two people looking at the Land O'Lakes biodiversity activation at South By Southwest
One person looking at the Land O'Lakes biodiversity activation at South By Southwest
1/3
  • The Truth About Biodiversity. Biodiversity is the variety of life on Earth. The more we have, the healthier our planet and our people are. To tell the story of biodiversity, we created an immersive video experience projected on to 9-foot-high screens.
  • The Truth About Biodiversity. Biodiversity is the variety of life on Earth. The more we have, the healthier our planet and our people are. To tell the story of biodiversity, we created an immersive video experience projected on to 9-foot-high screens.
  • The Truth About Biodiversity. Biodiversity is the variety of life on Earth. The more we have, the healthier our planet and our people are. To tell the story of biodiversity, we created an immersive video experience projected on to 9-foot-high screens.
One person interacting with the Land O'Lakes wall of opinions activation at South By Southwest
The Land O'Lakes wall of opinions activation at South By Southwest
One person interacting with the Land O'Lakes wall of opinions activation at South By Southwest
The Land O'Lakes wall of opinions activation at South By Southwest
The Land O'Lakes wall of opinions activation at South By Southwest
1/5
  • The Wall of Opinions. In order to measure the impact of The Copernicus Project on our guests, we had to get a sense of their opinions before they entered the space. To do so, we created an interactive art piece in which visitors manipulated a variety of colored strings to represent their thoughts about our food system.
  • The Wall of Opinions. In order to measure the impact of The Copernicus Project on our guests, we had to get a sense of their opinions before they entered the space. To do so, we created an interactive art piece in which visitors manipulated a variety of colored strings to represent their thoughts about our food system.
  • The Wall of Opinions. In order to measure the impact of The Copernicus Project on our guests, we had to get a sense of their opinions before they entered the space. To do so, we created an interactive art piece in which visitors manipulated a variety of colored strings to represent their thoughts about our food system.
  • The Wall of Opinions. In order to measure the impact of The Copernicus Project on our guests, we had to get a sense of their opinions before they entered the space. To do so, we created an interactive art piece in which visitors manipulated a variety of colored strings to represent their thoughts about our food system.
  • The Wall of Opinions. In order to measure the impact of The Copernicus Project on our guests, we had to get a sense of their opinions before they entered the space. To do so, we created an interactive art piece in which visitors manipulated a variety of colored strings to represent their thoughts about our food system.
The Land O'Lakes Beautiful Food Web activation at South By Southwest
Part of The Land O'Lakes Beautiful Food Web activation at South By Southwest
Two people interacting with The Land O'Lakes Beautiful Food Web activation at South By Southwest
1/3
  • The Beautiful Food Web. We constructed a gigantic sculpture to show that humans are not at the top of the food chain. We are part of a vast and interconnected web of seemingly unrelated factors.
  • The Beautiful Food Web. We constructed a gigantic sculpture to show that humans are not at the top of the food chain. We are part of a vast and interconnected web of seemingly unrelated factors.
  • The Beautiful Food Web. We constructed a gigantic sculpture to show that humans are not at the top of the food chain. We are part of a vast and interconnected web of seemingly unrelated factors.
One person on the nanotech-powered avocado ball pit at The Land O'Lakes Nanotechnology activation at South By Southwest
The nanotech-powered avocado ball pit at The Land O'Lakes Nanotechnology activation at South By Southwest
The nanotech-powered avocado ball pit at The Land O'Lakes Nanotechnology activation at South By Southwest
Two people on the nanotech-powered avocado ball pit at The Land O'Lakes Nanotechnology activation at South By Southwest
1/4
  • Nanotechnology. Colossal Impact. To show the profound effect that nanotechnology has on our food system, we designed and built an avocado-shaped ball pit. Guests could slide in and deposit a micronutrient to help the avocado thrive.
  • Nanotechnology. Colossal Impact. To show the profound effect that nanotechnology has on our food system, we designed and built an avocado-shaped ball pit. Guests could slide in and deposit a micronutrient to help the avocado thrive.
  • Nanotechnology. Colossal Impact. To show the profound effect that nanotechnology has on our food system, we designed and built an avocado-shaped ball pit. Guests could slide in and deposit a micronutrient to help the avocado thrive.
  • Nanotechnology. Colossal Impact. To show the profound effect that nanotechnology has on our food system, we designed and built an avocado-shaped ball pit. Guests could slide in and deposit a micronutrient to help the avocado thrive.
Hopeless Hoptimist Beer, brewed for The Land O’Lakes SXSW activation.
Hopeless Hoptimist Beer, brewed for The Land O’Lakes SXSW activation.
Hopeless Hoptimist Beer, brewed for The Land O’Lakes SXSW activation.
1/3
  • Hopeless Hoptimist. Food waste is a huge problem. To illustrate the seriousness of this issue and the steps we can take to control it, we made Hopeless Hoptimist, a beer brewed with upcycled bread. Visitors were not only wowed by its deliciousness, they were inspired to make a change.
  • Hopeless Hoptimist. Food waste is a huge problem. To illustrate the seriousness of this issue and the steps we can take to control it, we made Hopeless Hoptimist, a beer brewed with upcycled bread. Visitors were not only wowed by its deliciousness, they were inspired to make a change.
  • Hopeless Hoptimist. Food waste is a huge problem. To illustrate the seriousness of this issue and the steps we can take to control it, we made Hopeless Hoptimist, a beer brewed with upcycled bread. Visitors were not only wowed by its deliciousness, they were inspired to make a change.
Andrew Zimmern quote about the The Land O’Lakes activation at South by Southwest

Client

Land O'Lakes, Inc.

Role

Experiential Design, Branding and Identity, Package Design, Print Collateral, Environmental Design
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