Says VWV CEO, Abey Mokgwatsane, “VWV has extensive knowledge and an in-depth understanding of the SAB business and as such, we were able to move beyond just capturing content, to bring out all the things that embody the SAB brand.”

This project was another way that VWV has assisted in creating a unique experience for SAB clients, its shareholders and consumers.

Visitors to the relaunched World of Beer face new visual and aural experiences about the history of beer and the art of brewing while they take a journey through time to view the evolution of beer making methods.

The SAB World of Beer was originally launched in 1995 to mark the 100th Anniversary of SAB and was officially opened by former President Nelson Mandela. According to According to Frank Johnson, SAB World of Beer GM, “The World of Beer Tour is now one of the best facilities in the world in terms of fun, technology, information and the wow experience. We have conducted thorough research abroad, visiting major cities around Europe, and can proudly say we have produced the world's best beer experience.”

The upgrade included, among others, the introduction of WIFI technology, the installation of a 12 metre, 200 degrees screen, a 3D movie experience, three types of touch screen kiosks and the use of holograms. Other local companies were responsible for the construction of new displays, installation of new equipment and specialised lighting during the closed period. Mather and Company - a British firm - were entrusted with the design's upgrade.

VWV appointed a team of three-directors, two-production managers, five-editors, two-programmers, three-designers and two-producers to work on this project, which spanned four-months from start to finish. This team shot only 10-days worth of new footage, yet the total edit time for this ran over 600 hours.

Some of the pieces of new footage that VWV has created for the tour include: The Charles Glass Welcome video. This features Charles Glass as he welcomes guests to the World of Beer walking across six vertically oriented plasma screens. The Josef Groll History video explains the history of the invention of the first clear beer, and was actually shot in one of the underground tunnels beneath the World of Beer. These tunnels run directly under the streets in Newtown, and even still have street names. They were originally used to provide electricians easy access between the various power stations in Newtown.

The origins of beer 3D video was developed to illustrate the origins of beer in Egypt, and used both real footage and graphically created elements to create the stereoscopic 3D effect. The five screen piece brings the packaging side of the manufacturing process to life, and uses five plasmas oriented both vertically and horizontally to illustrate the scale and magnitude of the process. According to Ainsley Roos, productions operations manager of VWV, “The edit was a huge challenge, as a single unified image had to be created across all five screens.”

Says Mokgwatsane, “All of this footage goes a long way towards ensuring the strategy that lies behind the lens is achieved. It's not just about capturing pretty pictures and laying moving musical scores to images, anyone can do this - it's about bringing out all that embodies the brand.”

Continues Mokgwatsane, “Experiential is a multi-medium. Not in the already hackneyed sense of audio and visual, but in the collective sense of the audience - the touch, taste, sights, sounds and personal experience of a message as translated through the environment in which that message, or brand, or call-to action is sited. The team at VWV has definitely ensured that we have created the emotional connection to the World of Beer brand that can be experienced by audiences from all over the world.”

[24 Apr 2008 06:53]

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