OGB had identified a growing consumer trend towards immersive, imaginative and experiential brand experiences.

Further, OGB identified the partnership of James Boag beer with a ‘refined’ musical Symphony as one that would disrupt the audience, and showcase the brand story.

OGB worked with BAFTA award-winning composer Nick Ryan to commission a world-first innovative musical instrument called ‘The Meteorphonium’, that uniquely transformed live meteorological data into sound, realising the journey from ‘rugged’ data inputs to a ‘refined’ musical symphony.

The name of the instrument combined the words ‘meteorology’ (the science of the weather) and ‘phonium’ (from the Greek word ‘phone’ meaning ‘voice’). It comprised:

• The nine hand-made bronze singing bowls.

• A central ‘tongue drum’.

• Two custom built curved analog synthesizers.

• A large circular Tasmanian Oak frame.

• Eight independent light sensitive satellites, meteorphones.

• An independent freestanding weather station.

Our approach comprised two immersive experiences: the first at Ben Lomond National Park, Tasmania, and the latter, two weeks later at the James Boag’s marquee at Flemington’s Birdcage.

The name of the instrument combined the words ‘meteorology’ (the science of the weather) and ‘phonium’ (from the Greek word ‘phone’ meaning ‘voice’). Its components responded musically to weather conditions. In detail:

• Nine hand-made bronze singing bowls were mounted on spinning motors to produce sustained resonant frequencies, and hammer arms to produce chimes, when changes in temperature and humidity occur.

• A cylindrical metal ‘tongue drum’ with eight tuned keys or ‘tongues’ each of which, when struck, produces a single note of a pentatonic scale. The patterns grow in complexity and volume as wind speed increases.

• Two custom built curved analog synthesizers (the only two in existence in the world) are equipped with Light Dependent Resistors, which alter the sound with changes in light level.

• Four speakers are placed North, East, South and West, around the main instrument, and amplify the analog synthesiser with ‘site specific’ field recordings when wind direction exceeds a particular speed threshold.

• A circular timber structure frames the instrument, created from Tasmanian Oak by a specialist carpenter. It is 1.8m wide and 100mm deep.

• The main body of the instrument, including its timber frame and legs, weighs 300kg.

• Orbiting the main instrument structure are eight independent light sensitive satellites, meteorphones.

• An independent freestanding weather station captures weather conditions used to create the live music 200m away, measuring air temperature, relative humidity, wind speed/direction, barometric pressure, rainfall, brightness, hue and saturation. The inputs feed in to the main software.

The Meteorphonium launched to a VIP group of media/social influencers in Tasmania, and a four-chapter media and messaging rollout structure ensured newsworthiness across the five-week ‘in market’ period.