Memorials of Amsterdam

On Remembrance Day, May 4th, we turned outdoor adverts into interactive memorials to tell the stories and honour those who fought and fell for our freedom. Each screen gives you access to a unique podcast episode of their story. True to the city-wide atmosphere of quiet commemoration, the ads were also silent.

Relevancy - Outdoor & Media

A story that’s told at the right time, in the right place has more impact. This formed the core of our strategy. We told the stories on Remembrance Day in the places they happened.

We also noticed that even though we can operate DOOH from a distance, they continue to shout their messages during the two minutes silence. This doesn’t fit with the subdued character of Remembrance Day.

Most memorial monuments tell a limited story of the events that are being commemorated. This makes it hard to really feel the impact of these stories — especially for a younger audience. Now people could engage with the stories. A QR code led them to a mobile site, which told the story that happened at that particular spot from an eye-witness perspective. By enriching the audio with 3D sound effects, and using the city as a backdrop, we brought the stories to life for a broad audience.

Relevancy - Sound

Each story comes to life as an immersive 3D sound experience. The narrative is third-person perspective. 3D sound design places the story around the listener in the exact GPS location, so listeners really feel the events unfolding. The music ensures recognisability in the prologue and epilogue of each story and adds an extra emotional layer to the stories without over dramatising it. Staying true to the people and their stories. Memorials of Amsterdam was widely covered by local newspapers and national TV news stations, and attracted interest from other cities wanting to join the initiative next year. Together, we’ll have an even greater impact, remembering more heroes in more places, and keeping their stories alive for generations to come.

Additional

We turned all Digital Out Of Homes into memorials, displaying ten different stories. The stories came alive as 3-D sound experiences told from an eye-witness point of view. When you pointed your mobile’s camera at the ad, and scanned the QR-code, you could listen to the story come to life as an immersive 3D sound experience. Told from a first person perspective at that exact GPS location.

Idea/Craft - Outdoor & Media

On every Amsterdam street corner there are stories from the Second World War. The streets bear silent witness to acts of heroism and resistance, large and small. These stories are too important to forget, yet are threatened with extinction. On Remembrance Day, May 4th, Memorials of Amsterdam turned outdoor adverts into temporary interactive memorials to tell these stories and honour the fallen. True to the city-wide atmosphere of quiet commemoration, the ads were also silent.

Idea/Craft - Sound

The audio concept is to create a cross-over between an Audiotour and a mini series documentary style Podcast, or better; Location based Podcast episodes through the city of Amsterdam.

By turning outdoor adverts into temporary interactive memorials. Every billboard has a different story, a story that took place during the war, and happend exactly at the Billboard’s location

Scan the QR-code on the Billboard with your phone, it will load an interactive website with a map of the audio route trough Amsterdam. Additionally, you can listen to the story with your headphones.“Talking bilboards” A print medium used as an audio beacon. Billboards that take the message beyond their borders.

Briefing - Outdoor & Media

Help keep the stories and lessons of the Second World War alive.

Briefing - Sound

There are stories from the WWII on every Amsterdam street corner. These stories are too important to forget, yet are threatened with extinction.

On Remembrance Day, “Vrijheidsverhalen” tells these stories and honours their main characters. Using audio as a medium, the stories have to become immersive and impactful, yet stay true to the people and their stories.

Jury Feedback

ADVERTISING – OUTDOOR / NOMINATION

The disruptive takeover of highly commercial outdoor space to mark a somber moment was noteworthy. The jury felt that outdoor abris turned into monuments honouring heroes relevant to that space was inspired. While the occasion made the idea relevant, it was a bit expected, hence did not score higher.

CRAFT - SOUND / SILVER

This is an incredibly powerful and moving project. A highly effective use of sound to convey story and emotion. The added element of location technology adds a powerful extra layer to the experience, drawing viewers further into the story and highlighting how important it is to honour and revisit these stories. Another strong choice was to use more abstract sound-design in combination with real-life sounds to create a bigger sense of dramatic tension. This is a very well-crafted audio play with well-crafted sound design. Much deserving of a Silver Lamp.

CRAFT - MEDIA / SILVER

Very creative media solution, Amsterdam rebuild to a monument. Well executed in a very tasteful way. The moment of remembrance brought to live. The idea has legs with lots of story telling. It's bigger than advertising through adding value of DOOH. Off and online together. It's unclear how impactful it was. How many people did really hear the stories. It's feels like 1 momentum and a lot of effort. It has legs for more.