Imagination

Imagination is a UK based Design Company which focusses on creating experiences for brands. They are the biggest creative company in Britain (accounted by turnover) and have offices in London, New York, Toronto, Sydney, LA, Tokyo and many more. Their world-wide team of around 600 employees work in unison with brands, on developing experiences from an idea to becoming an actual reality. I was lucky enough to present to and to attend a lecture given by Simon King, Director and co-founder of Imagination. He explained the aims and ambitions of the company, and displayed many examples of their creative, brand experiences.

Simon King initially spoke about how the experience is everything. This covered all aspects of design because the design industry has moved from the world of unique selling points (USP) to unique experience proposition (UExP). An example of this would be when someone buys a new BMW m-series, they not only expect a fast, comfortable and stylish ride but they also want to feel part of the BMW brand i.e. the business class, out-on-the-town, sexy guy. The new car needs to go further than just offering a latest, unique feature. It needs to have a unique experience that is more desirable than competing brands’ models. These leading experience ideas are what Imagination are best at.

They create experience ideas using the AIDAS system; Attention, Interest, Desire, Action and Satisfaction. Inspiring messages, valuable content, immersive events, compelling retail and relevant customer relationship management fit into AIDAS and acts as a guide to make a brand’s experience idea a reality. Simon King showed a great video of the unveiling of the new Range Rover which needed to celebrate and display its reputation as the world’s most luxurious SUV. Their solution was to unveil the car in a man-made lake at the British Royal Ballet School to highlight not only Land Rover’s British heritage and unique capabilities but also inner strength and refinement. The video is truly remarkable and is worth a watch on Youtube.

The company believes and fully supports the use of multimedia and the use of strategy, creativity and delivery. This was shown through the launch of the new Land Rover sport where hints of a new product were tweeted every so often by Land Rover until the actual unveiling. The launch comprised of half a pre-recorded video of the Sport being driven from New York’s docks into the city. Then, with the co-operation of NYPD, the car was driven live on camera past Times Square and through a flooded Lincoln Tunnel onto the Launch stage. Just when the journalists couldn’t be more amazed, Daniel Craig aka James Bond steps out of the car summing up how versatile the Sport is as it is a fast, adventurous and capable yet comfortable, stylish and safe SUV.

Imagination aims to inspire by creating breath-taking ideas, by bringing life into ideas, to be committed by constantly striving and to work as a collaborative as brilliant creating is born of brilliant teamwork. I found the whole presentation inspiring and insightful. It highlighted a new aspect of design to me, the experience. I now know the importance of a unique experience proposition and aim to focus on the overall experience of whatever I design.

By Tim Spears