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Impressionen des Musicals anlässlich der smart-Weltpremiere auf der IAA 2017

Press reveal event à la La La Land

Musical heralds the global debut of the smart vision EQ fortwo at IAA 2017

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A musical as the centerpiece of an automotive press conference? Such an event is certainly unlikely to have been seen before, on the eve of an IAA motor show. OSK staged the world premiere of the smart vision EQ fortwo as a popular musical production for an audience of 1,500 international journalists and influencers. The show brought together product information, song and drama in a media-friendly love story.

The idea for this rather unusual presentation was sparked on a long-haul flight from Shanghai to Cologne, during which the on-board entertainment featured the surprise musical hit of 2017, La La Land. Why not stage a romantic comedy drama with young actors, colorful scenery and the smart car taking the leading role? The idea generated immediate appeal as a fitting spectacle for the marque.

Complex content delivered in five entertaining minutes

From a practical perspective, the project presented two major challenges. First, as an embedded element of the press conference, the piece could not run for any longer than five minutes. And second, there was a lot to tell about the smart vision EQ fortwo. After all, it represents a clear vision of the future of urban mobility and is, at the same time, the most radical car-sharing concept ever – fully autonomous, highly communicative, friendly, totally customizable and, of course, electric. All these messages were to be clearly delivered during the press event within the framework of a light-hearted stage show.

Professionally staged with musical stars from London’s West End

OSK’s own concept developer, set designer, composer and singer turned their attention to scripting and producing a love story with infectious melodies and lyrics while still focusing, in an entertaining way, on the car’s principal functions. This was to be messaging and storytelling through the medium of musical theater. The plot revolves around a young couple who meet in a self-driving car share – the smart vision EQ fortwo – on their way to a concert. Intelligent connectivity identified the two occupants as a perfect match for sharing the ride. They get to know each other during the smart car journey, hit it off straight away, and arrange to attend the concert together – cue for an embrace, happy ending and a grand finale with a cast of 20 professional musical theater actors. The show was enthusiastically received with loud applause, generated widespread coverage, and gave rise to countless clicks on online video platforms. But why not take a look for yourself …