WhatsApp illustrates the power of end-to-end encryption to the US market by transforming privacy into a feeling in the middle of Times Square. The messaging app pulled off a stunt by turning the most public place in the world into a private one, to highlight its most compelling feature: privacy.

The US is relatively a growth market for WhatsApp, and our task was to explain privacy with end-to-end encryption in a fun and interactive way that felt human and entertaining.

Private Spot by WhatsApp is an activation to make people in the US experience what privacy feels like, by placing a one of a kind pedestal in the middle of one of the most crowded places in the world—Times Square. When someone stepped on the Private Spot, a 3D directional audio that could only be heard by them, explained the importance of privacy, and how WhatsApp’s private messaging lets them be their authentic selves, no matter where they are.

WhatsApp, a leader for private messaging, must educate and explain to people the importance of privacy, and how it protects people’s privacy with state-of-the-art end-to-end encryption technology, where no one can read or hear messages within WhatsApp, other than the sender and receiver. Not even WhatsApp. We wanted to establish this experience through an interactive experience, simplifying what end-to-end encryption actually works like.

WhatsApp wants to increase brand trust with users, especially Young Adults, who are driven by innovation and appreciate unconventionality. The best place to explain privacy is a place where privacy doesn’t exist. We launched this experience at Times Square -the activation broke down privacy using innovative technology. When people stepped on the device, they were greeted with an audio that only they could hear, simplifying privacy through end-to-end encryption and educating them about WhatsApp.around could hear it.

The stunt is part of WhatsApp’s ongoing expansion in the US market, with a focus on demonstrating its privacy features and end-to-end encryption across any device as a core differentiator against other messaging apps.

The Private Spot let users step on top of the speaker, and through complex sound engineering, could experience a private dialogue. The experience draws a parallel between the privacy of the WhatsApp platform: no one outside the platform, nor outside the speaker, can hear the conversation. Against the busy backdrop of sirens and sightseers and with no physical sound barrier, people truly experienced the feeling – and the beauty – of privacy. The WhatsApp “Private Spot” translated privacy from an abstract concept to a tangible feeling for consumers.

The Private Spot, a part of the US Privacy campaign, garnered 192K new registrations, a 478K increase in daily users, and a notable 917K rise in monthly users. Additionally, there was a substantial 23MM increase in messages exchanged during the campaign, along with a peak in privacy sentiment that marked an all-time high for the brand."