Dolby aimed to showcase the immersion its technologies deliver to fans in all ways they watch and listen. Less than five weeks before SXSW, Dolby made the strategic decision to go all-in with its first activation, tapping us, their longtime partner to bring vision to reality.

That vision? A must-visit, see-it (and-hear-it) to-believe-it World of Dolby featuring “wow”-worthy moments and activations for audiences to learn about the its products.

We were tasked with designing and building an immersive sensory experience for guests to discover how Dolby technologies unlock the best in entertainment.

The team transformed Austin’s Brazos Hall into Dolby House. It became the brand’s defining presence at SXSW and the festival’s most technologically-advanced activation.

Dolby House needed to entertain guests with the sights, sounds, and availability of Dolby, plus serve as a destination for industry innovators – and potential new customers — for demos, industry, networking, and more.

Filling the space with cutting-edge tech wasn’t enough. Industry pros had to be wowed just like consumers, from first glance to exit.

Austin’s historic Brazos Hall was wrapped with Dolby’s bold, new visual identity including walls in bright shades of pink, purple, and orange. A huge exterior LED screen could be seen for blocks, enticing all to step in. Complimenting the environmental design was a thoughtful flow that took attendees through various audiovisual experiences that showcased the breadth of entertainment in Dolby. The space was dynamic and innovative, but also highly audience-centric and approachable - key attributes of the Dolby brand.

Installations included a Dolby ‘living room’ for guests to experience a Dolby Vision TV and to preview the Sonos Era 300 Dolby Atmos wireless speakers. Mirrored walls playfully extended Dolby Vision TV monitors, showcasing stunning, bespoke brand visuals.

Dolby House was designed for tech-enthusiasts at SXSW, meaning there was a high creative bar. From industry to the general public and creators like artist Macklemore, guests were invited to immerse themselves in the rich, sensory experience of Dolby.

Targeted age: 26-45 year-olds.

To showcase the power of its audio-visual technology, we collaboratively created an experience that was not just visually and audibly stunning but would resonate with attendees and foster lasting brand connections.

A series of eight interactive-spaces were created including a mobile Dolby Atmos mix-studio, where guests could create with its revolutionary three-dimensional audio technology.

The team hosted another incredible audio-experience in one of the best places for listening – the car. A Mercedes-Benz Maybach S-Class sedan became THE spot for a listening moment.

Guests lined up to enjoy personalized demos of Dolby Atmos with AppleMusic and Mercedes, the best in car entertainment.

Implementation

Each Dolby House installation highlighted Dolby innovations across consumer passions. With cutting-edge audio and visual as the core, guests journeyed through the power of music, movies, TV, sports, games, UGC, and podcasts in Dolby.

Listening stations featured state-of-the-art headphones and mobile devices to sample streaming music. XBox stations allowed guests to become immersed in Halo Infinite, gameplay leveled up by Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos.

Dolby House accommodated varied set-ups, smoothly transitioning between events, becoming a destination for industry panels, DJ sets and creator meet-ups.

Timeline

With just under five weeks, both companies planned and executed a best-in-class event at one of the industry’s biggest conferences.

Scale

Dolby House was more than 8,400 sq. feet including a rooftop event space.

Thanks to better-than-expected attendance, the event spilled out onto the sidewalks, where attendees were served bites and drinks from Waffle Love food trucks.

Dolby House was among the hottest tickets at SXSW 2023. Attendance exceeded expectations, as did other results: Data captured included 32K+ total attendees at the House, exceeding the target by 28.76%, according to TrackManyTM, with which the Dolby team captured relevant data including heat maps, impressions, and dwell time.

The experience drove clearer understanding of Dolby’s role in entertainment, thanks to deep engagement. Interactions with content across demo stations resulted in 200+ hours of engaged content. 41% of attendees were actively engaged; 35% took interest in Dolby products.

An attendee survey revealed:

78% of respondents said they had a clearer understanding of Dolby’s role in transforming entertainment experiences after their visit.

91% agreed Dolby plays a critical role in transforming entertainment across a variety of categories.

81% said their Dolby House experience increased their interest in purchasing products from Dolby partner brands.