The primary objective was to provide consumers with a hands-on Windows 8 experience, to show them how intuitive, fluid and powerful this upgrade is. Given the completely new features and look and feel of the OS, mere demonstration would not be enough.

Windows 8 embodied several leaps in OS design. In addition to looking dramatically different from previous iterations of Windows, interactions were designed for touch as the primary means of engagement.

The target audience was twofold: Potential new purchasers and upgraders for the OS, as well as the press. Windows is adopted and beloved by many, but this also meant asking long-time users to accept such a dramatic reinvention of their trusted OS. Windows 8 needed to appeal to those users as well as potential new customers who needed to be wowed by its innovation. Reaching the press was crucial to shaping the conversation around Windows 8.

We created a highly scalable event that demonstrated the OS in a spectacular fashion. For 3 days, on 39 screens, Windows 8 took over Times Square.

Ambassadors invited people to try Windows 8 for themselves at stations on the ground. These stations were linked to the screens, so visitors could see their interactions mirrored in the brilliance of Times Square. We also created unique branded animations and original content. And every night, spectacular digital murals were created.

It all added up to a launch as fun and engaging as Windows 8 itself.

To usher in the next generation of Windows, we created a highly scalable event that demonstrated the OS in a spectacular fashion.

For 3 days, on 39 screens, Windows 8 took over Times Square.

Ambassadors invited people to try Windows 8 for themselves at stations on the ground. These stations were linked to the screens, so visitors could see their interactions mirrored in the brilliance of Times Square.

We also created unique branded animations and original content. And every night, spectacular digital murals were created.

It all added up to a launch as fun and engaging as Windows 8 itself.

Feedback from people on the ground consistently reflected how much fun the event was. There was even a marriage proposal that took place against the backdrop of the launch. We took a new technology and then pushed it as far as we could to achieve our goals.

The event performed exceedingly well, both quantitatively and qualitatively. Foot traffic was estimated at 2+ million through the area during the event, with 45-70,000 interactions. An estimated 2,400 photos and paintings were created with the software. The takeover received 20,500,000 Facebook impressions, 5,000,000 twitter mentions, and 20,000 social conversations.