EXPOTECHNIK

Expotechnik designs the Sonova Group’s interactive brand appearance

Taunusstein, November 12, 2012. Life is sound. And listening devices improve the quality of life. These were the core messages presented by the Sonova Group and its brands, Phonak and Advanced Bionics (AB), at the EUHA Congress for Hearing Aid Acousticians, which took place in Frankfurt/Main from October 24 to 26. The Expotechnik Group converted this message from a two-dimensional communications concept into three-dimensional space, adding a graphic element to the audio topic and emphasizing interactivity - making it accessible, audible, and centered on individuals.

Sonova’s appearance at the EUHA Congress highlighted its Phonak line, featuring products and innovations from its “Phonak Quest” concept. The brand also used the trade fair as a platform to introduce its new communications campaign and logo to the public. As one of the leading service providers for interior brand staging, Expotechnik created an entirely new design concept that could transport this campaign into the three-dimensional world of the trade fair.
To this end, Expotechnik constructed a vast acoustic environment - “The Phonak Soundscape” - in a 300 square meter area. Numerous interactive elements that were designed to turn sounds into experiences enabled the visitors to get a sense of different everyday audio situations, with and without hearing devices. A special touch was the 20 meter long and 4.6 meter high, fabric-covered rear wall that extended across the entire length of the booth, which was used to visualize the campaign messages. Expotechnik created an interplay of static images and animated projections on this wall to draw the visitors’ attention to Phonak. Expotechnik also picked out excerpts from different areas of this campaign wall and used them to structure the presentation surface.

Hear the sound – active experiences as a guiding theme
The booth had an open layout and was accessible from all sides - an invitation to the trade fair visitors to explore Phonak’s sound environment. Motion-activated, directional speakers were integrated into a tree and a dragon to accompany the guests as they traversed the presentation area through the chirping of birds and children’s laughter. The core piece of the performance, a sound demonstration titled “Experience Binaural Voice Stream Technology“, also aimed for active involvement: it invited the participants to experience the technical features of the WindBlock Management system, which minimizes noise caused by wind. At the same time, this gave the audience a sense of how hearing-impaired persons perceive sound.

The product presentation was equally interactive: Expotechnik used the Smart Window to realize an entirely new kind of product presentation, creating a bridge between a realistic depiction and digital information. Hooked up to a 70-inch screen, the Smart Window made it possible to research detailed information about the innovative Phonak audio devices via finger controls.

A stage for AB, Lyric and Hear the World
The AB brand was integrated into Phonak’s central booth through a shop-in-shop system. Lyric and Hear the World had their own platform directly across from the Phonak booth. This is where Lyric’s new campaign message was presented: “Lyric KANN“ [“Lyric CAN”]. Expotechnik picked up on the “K” of the slogan in their floor design, drawing out the path across the booth with a large, green K. The visitors were able to explore this product world through an adventure course.
Sonova presented its Hear the World Foundation in an additional area. All eyes were on its centerpiece, a photo booth. Participants posed in front of a blue screen with a hand behind their ear - this typical gesture for conscious listening is also used in the appearances by Hear the World’s celebrity spokespersons. The visitors received their photos as give-aways in the form of a greeting card. The non-profit Hear the World Foundation by Sonova shows the company’s worldwide commitment to equal opportunities and a higher quality of life for people affected by hearing loss.

Each year, the EUHA – Europäische Union der Hörgeräteakustiker e. V. [European Union of Hearing Aid Acousticians] – organizes the International Congress for Hearing Aid Acousticians, which took place in Frankfurt/Main from October 24 to 26 this year. It is the most important European congress for this industry. The associated trade fair regularly presents product news from the industry and technical advances for various hearing systems.