SONY / IFA, BERLIN

Sony was out to impress at this year's IFA technology show in Berlin, displaying not only the largest 3D screen in Europe, but also unveiling 3D laptops, its upcoming Google TV and the cloud-based music and video streaming service, Qriocity.

London based design and communications agency FreeState was tasked with the challenge of presenting the disprate brands in the Sony Stable - from Vaio to Playstation via cameras, TVs and e-readers.

Adam Scott, creative director at FreeState, explained how Sony's 7,000 square metre space, the largest at the event, was used to highlight individual brands while uniting them under their entertainment umbrella, using a cube motif as the central organising idea.

An outer area showcased each brand, while offering glimpses of a central entertainment area, hosting performances, animations and a giant 3D screen.  'At the centre, Sony is an entertainment brand,' said Scott. 'We started with a blank canvas and were able to ensure that every touchpoint - from the animations to the seating - worked for Sony.'

The site not only included chances to play with Sony products, but also a dynamic projected content installation alongside interactive workshops, with live performances filmed in 3D and fed back to the 3D screen.

Ben Johnson, FreeState's managing director, explained: 'We are inviting people into these spaces as guests, rather than passing traffic.'

Sony's vice president marketing communications Ben Moore said: 'On a brand level, we want visitor experiences to be exhilarating, dynamic ones. We want them to tangibly feel what Sony means and have an emotional reaction to the different environments.'

Moore added: 'Strategically we want to communicate the level of commitment to 3D, from the lense of the camera to the TV screen. Although we are taking a big leap, the risk is in not doing something like this. As the market leader, our task is to raise the bar again and again and not to limit the creative opportunities.'