Landscape is so last year in the vertical world

The pessimistic among you may think the world’s going to hell in a handcart, but where it’s actually going is vertical. 

Research shows that 79 percent of smartphone users prefer to view videos in portrait mode. So, to satisfy the Insta/Snapchat-crazy generation Z consumers, Samsung staged a spectacular vertical performance by R&B artist Mabel.

A stacked, three-story stage, standing more than nine metres high, allowed all elements of the gig to be seen and heard in a vertical symphony. Mabel performed with her band, DJ and dancers across multiple levels, so the crowd could get the perfect shot.

A riot of candy-coloured costumes, lights and video projections, the gig took place under the swooping glass curves of the Heatherwick Studio-designed ‘kissing point’, the central design flourish of Kings Cross’s new retail and lifestyle place Coal Drops Yard. The dual-aspect kissing point is home to the newly opened 22,000sq ft Samsung KX experience space, which offers guests multi-sensory glimpses of how we could live in the fully-connected future. 

We chatted to Iris creative director Henry Scotland about the event.

Can you talk us through the process behind the visual scheme for the set/lights/costumes of Mabel’s gig?

Having landed on the vertical gig idea, we worked with our build partner to design a set which was as affordable and simple as possible without ignoring the context of being positioned beneath Thomas Heatherwick’s “kissing point” masterpiece! This led us to triple stacked shipping containers with some A-Team level customisations. 

For the overall aesthetic, we went through a process of blending the visual worlds of Mabel’s live show art direction.

Despite the industrial base materials, Samsung activations need to achieve a high perceived level of production value – we did this by incorporating full-bleed LED walls into each aperture, alongside the latest lighting technology – we also created a bespoke metal scenic surround for the outside of the containers and between each level. The three LED surfaces allowed us to create graphic sequences which gave the impression of one huge vertical palette. 

As for the overall aesthetic, we just went through a process of blending the visual worlds of Mabel’s live show art direction, Samsung’s brand world and the newly established art direction for the Samsung KX space; finally we conferred with Mabel’s stylist to make sure the wardrobe choices for her and her dancers worked with the overall look. Our designers then set about programming graphic loops and notes for the lighting designer tailored to each track of the pre-supplied set-list.

Above: Iris creative director Henry Scotland

Can you tell me more about the tech elements Samsung insisted on? What was the brand’s attention to detail?

The attention to detail thing is huge with Samsung projects. 

The space was designed to be a place of discovery and exploration.

For example… set into the vertical edge of each dramatic slice of floor-to-ceiling glass wrapping around the space above the courtyard are colour changing LED strips. We were tasked to integrate these into our show below, which required purchasing a special interface connected to the sound desk, allowing the LED products in the glass to respond to the waveform of audio from the show in real-time. An engineer then ensured the colours followed the lighting designer’s track by track scheme.

Can you describe some or all of the elements featured in the KX space and explain how the brand and creative team came to choose them?

The internal space itself was fitted out by Samsung and Cheil. It was designed to be a place of discovery and exploration. 

The space offers experiences such as a digital cockpit, Galaxy graffiti (a virtual art experience with a Galaxy s10 ‘spray can’), DJ Galaxy, 3D ME, Collage ME, AR Message Tree, Personalisation Area.  

The partnership team at Iris have been working on the workshop programme in the space; partners like Time Out, The Guardian, Universal Music etc have been selected to run regular sessions investigating the latest innovation & culture the capital has to offer. You can find out more here.

What effect do you feel consuming content on a vertical format has on the viewer?

We’re just acknowledging the reality that young people overwhelmingly capture, consume & share content vertically. 

Just this year, artists including Selena Gomez, Halsey, Miley Cyrus, Ariana Grande & Mark Ronson have released vertical music promos. 

This event should, at the very least, have stimulated some debate about live music staging conventions and the creative possibilities that arise if we better embrace vertical vibes!

Primarily, this has to be based on the obvious benefits of serving up content into (younger) punters hands that land with the most intuitive user experience technically, but beyond that, there’s an added intimacy that comes with consuming video that doesn’t require tilting your device. 

It’s perhaps subtle, but just feels unconsciously more aligned with those everyday personal bits of your life. 

This event should, at the very least, have stimulated some debate about live music staging conventions and the creative possibilities that arise if we better embrace vertical vibes!