Mobile, Content, Media And Entertainment Industries Set To Convene In LA For 2018 GSMA Mobile World Congress Americas, In Partnership With CTIA

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With two weeks left until the 2018 Mobile World Congress Americas, the GSMA announced further details on the event, including recently confirmed speakers, exhibitors and sponsors, as well as updates on programs and activities at the show. Mobile World Congress Americas will take place September 12-14, 2018 at the Los Angeles Convention Center in Los Angeles.

“In just a few weeks, global leaders from the mobile technology and content, media and entertainment industries will converge in Los Angeles,” said Michael O’Hara, Chief Marketing Officer, GSMA. “Over three days, the spotlight will be on the exciting new opportunities delivered through mobile technology, not just in media and entertainment, but in many other areas that touch citizens’ everyday lives. Attendees will truly have the opportunity to imagine a better future.”

“Los Angeles is a global capital for media, entertainment and innovation — and the perfect home for Mobile World Congress Americas,” said Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti. “We are excited to partner with GSMA to give pathbreaking startups and established players an opportunity to exchange ideas, explore new inventions and showcase the future of mobile technology.”

Latest Additions To Keynote Program

The GSMA announced several additional keynote speakers for the Mobile World Congress Americas conference program, with leaders from a wide range of organizations across mobile, content, media and entertainment, including:

  • Bill Gross, Chairman, IdeaLab
  • Esther Wojcicki, Journalist and Educator
  • Roger Lynch, CEO, Pandora
  • Dominique Delport, President of International, Vice International
  • Darcy Antonellis, CEO, VUBIQUITY
  • Sean Doherty, CEO, WURL, Inc.

CTIA President and CEO Meredith Attwell Baker will open CTIA’s policy sessions at Mobile World Congress Americas with a keynote address on Wednesday, September 12. The CTIA policy track will also include keynote remarks from David Redl, NTIA Assistant Secretary and Administrator and Brendan Carr, Mike O’Rielly and Jessica Rosenworcel, FCC Commissioners.

Beyond the keynote program, the three-day Mobile World Congress Americas conference will offer focused track sessions on a range of subjects, such as 5G, artificial intelligence (AI) blockchain, connected cars, the Internet of Things (IoT) and media, content and entertainment, among others. Newly confirmed conference speakers include:

  • Reagan Feeney, Vice President, Content Partnerships, Hulu
  • Gayle Troberman, Chief Marketing Officer, iHeartMedia
  • Trina Van Pelt, Vice President of Intel Capital and Group Managing Director, Intel
  • Trevor Fellows, Executive Vice President of Digital Partnerships, NBC
  • Gary Brotman, Head of AI and Machine Learning Product Management, Qualcomm
  • Rob Wilmoth, Principal Solutions Architect, Red Hat

For more information on the conference, including the agenda and complete speaker list, click here.

GSMA Summits At Mobile World Congress Americas

Mobile World Congress Americas will also include a series of GSMA Summits that explore a wide range of topics across mobile technology, media, content, sports, healthcare and diversity, among others.

Future Digital Health Summit
On Wednesday, September 12, the Future Digital Health Summit will showcase emerging trends and the latest innovations in mobile healthcare, with speakers including:

  • Ronan Wisdom, Global Lead, Connected Health, Accenture
  • Haley Sulser, Director of Operations, Greater New Orleans Health Information Exchange (GNOHIE)
  • Ali Modaressi, Executive Director, Los Angeles Network for Enhanced Services (LANES)
  • Harrison Lung, Partner, McKinsey & Company

Women4Tech Summit
Taking place on Thursday, September 13, the Women4Tech Summit will highlight leading practices and creative solutions to increase diversity in the workplace. New speakers confirmed for the Women4Tech Summit include:

  • Andrea Rey, Partner, EY
  • Rachel Samrén, EVP Chief External Affairs Officer, Millicom
  • Glenn Lurie, CEO, Synchronoss

For complete information on the GSMA Summits, click here.

The GSMA Innovation City – Focus On Intelligent Connectivity

The GSMA Innovation City returns to Mobile World Congress Americas for a second year, showcasing how intelligent connectivity – leveraging 5G, the IoT, AI and big data – is impacting and improving the lives of citizens, enterprises and governments around the world. Visitors will experience the impact of intelligent connectivity across sectors including entertainment, transportation, public services and industry, among others. Located in the LACC’s South Hall, the City features cutting-edge demonstrations from leading industry brands as well as GSMA programmes including Identity, Internet of Things, Future Networks and #BetterFuture. For more information on the Innovation City, click here.

200 Companies To Participate At 4YFN Startup Event 

Featuring exhibits, inspirational presentations, incubator activities, networking events, the 4YFN Americas Startup Awards and more, the 4YFN Startup Event will gather over 200 companies from around the globe, including innovative tech startups, venture capital firms and companies in verticals such as legal and fintech, among others. The GSMA announced several new speakers for the 4YFN Summit, including:

  • Jason Lawrence Nazar, Co-Founder and CEO, Comparably
  • Robyn Ward, CEO, FounderForward
  • Howard G. Wright, Vice President, Intel Corporation
  • Neda Amidi, Partner, Plug & Play Ventures
  • Steven Sprague, CEO, RivetzCorp

For more information on 4YFN at Mobile World Congress Americas, click here.

Additional Exhibitors, Sponsors At Mobile World Congress Americas

Amazon, BMW, Tata Communications Transformation Services, T-Mobile USA and Vodafone America are among the latest companies confirmed to participate at Mobile World Congress Americas, joining previously announced brands including: Accenture, American Express OPEN, ARM, Cisco, Dell, Ericsson, G+D Mobile Security, Gemalto, Google, Hewlett Packard Enterprise, IBM, Infosys, Mastercard, McAfee, NBC Universal, Nokia Solutions, Samsung Networks, Sprint, Synchronoss, Syniverse, TELUS, Verizon Wireless, VMware and others. For more information on the Mobile World Congress Americas exhibition, click here.

IMPACT Growth, RobotUnion and Türk Telekom have signed on as 4YFN Supporting Sponsors, and the GSMA also announced several new sponsors for the Mobile World Congress Americas event themes. Oracle is the Headline Sponsor and VMware is the Associate Sponsor of the Network Industry Theme; Micron Technology is the Headline Sponsor and DMI is the Supporting Sponsor of the Connected Vehicles Theme; and Ericsson has signed on as the IoT Theme Supporting Sponsor. For a complete list of event sponsors and partners, click here.

New Partner Programs And Power Hours 

Leading organizations from across the mobile ecosystem including A+E Networks, Automotive Edge Computing Consortium, Conduent, the Global Certification Forum, IBM Security, James Brehm & Associates, The Mobile Growth House and Route Mobile will be presenting Partner Programs and Power Hour sessions at Mobile World Congress Americas. For complete details, click here.

Industry Experts To Lead Mobile World Congress Americas Tours 

The Mobile World Congress Americas Tours will lead attendees on a curated experience focusing on specific topics from 5G to smart cities, among others. Mobile World Congress Americas will offer the following topic tours, guided by industry experts:

  • 5G and NFV Tour with Dr. Nishith Tripath of Award Solutions
  • Business Transformation Tour with Russ Edwards of Award Solutions
  • Emerging Tech Tour with Manolo Almagro of Q Division
  • IoT Tour with Sylwia Kechiche of GSMA Intelligence
  • Sustainable Smart Cities Tour with Jonas Allen of Green Electronics Council

For more information, including how to register for a tour, click here.

Get Involved At Mobile World Congress Americas 2018 

More information on Mobile World Congress Americas 2018, including how to attend, exhibit or sponsor, is available at www.mwcamericas.com. Follow developments and updates on Mobile World Congress Americas on Twitter @GSMA using #MWCA18, on our LinkedIn Mobile World Congress Americas page or on Facebook. For additional information on GSMA social channels, click here.

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About the GSMA
The GSMA represents the interests of mobile operators worldwide, uniting nearly 800 operators with more than 300 companies in the broader mobile ecosystem, including handset and device makers, software companies, equipment providers and internet companies, as well as organisations in adjacent industry sectors. The GSMA also produces industry-leading events such as Mobile World Congress, Mobile World Congress Shanghai, Mobile World Congress Americas and the Mobile 360 Series of conferences.

For more information, please visit the GSMA corporate website. Follow the GSMA on Twitter: @GSMA.

About CTIA
CTIA represents the U.S. wireless communications industry and the companies throughout the mobile ecosystem that enable Americans to lead a 21st century connected life. The association’s members include wireless carriers, device manufacturers, suppliers as well as apps and content companies. CTIA vigorously advocates at all levels of government for policies that foster continued wireless innovation and investment. The association also coordinates the industry’s voluntary best practices, hosts educational events that promote the wireless industry and co-produces the industry’s leading wireless tradeshow. CTIA was founded in 1984 and is based in Washington, D.C.

Google Is Using AI To Make Your Ads Better

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Google is introducing a new tool called “ad strength” for responsive search ad campaigns. The new feature offers additional insights in real time, allowing marketers to make relevant adjustments quickly.

Beginning in early September, the “ad strength” tool will use AI to measure campaign effectiveness based on headlines, logos and descriptions.

Responsive search ads and columns in Google Ads will be ranked from “Poor” to “Excellent” based on the relevance, quantity, and diversity of the ad copy. Feedback will be given such as “Add a few more headlines” or “Make your headlines more unique,” allowing users to adjust their campaigns and get a feel for their effectiveness in real-time.

Ad strength will be available as a column starting in early September, Google said, and in the responsive search ad creation interface over the next several weeks. Support for responsive display ads will follow in the coming months.

Ahead of the new feature, Google offered suggestions to marketers that are creating relevant ads at scale. Google recommends creating a variety of distinct headlines, descriptions, and other assets as possible so that its machine learning can generate a larger number of relevant ad combinations.

To prove its point, Google cited a case study in which Apartments.com created responsive search ads based on key moments in the rental process. The brand saw a 10 percent lift in clicks. ForRent.com, another brand in the Apartments.com network of sites, saw a 16 percent lift in clicks with a similar strategy.

Google also stressed the importance of relevance and personalization in today’s marketplace. The company cited a 2017 study in which 91 percent of mobile users bought or plan to buy something after seeing an ad they described as relevant.

Several studies have found that consumers demand a personalized digital content experience, as long as it doesn’t get creepy. One such study by Adobe found that 42 percent of respondents get annoyed when their digital content experience isn’t personalized.

XRDC: Find Out How Top Car Companies Are Using XR

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As XRDC draws closer, organizers are proud to announce there will be a great talk at the AR/VR/MR innovation conference that will reveal how mixed-reality tech is being used in cutting-edge ways by top automotive companies.

Titled “Mastering XR for Automotive,” the Innovation track talk will feature ZeroLight technical director Chris O’Connor walking attendees through the various ways ZeroLight automotive clients have incorporated mixed-reality tech, including BMW, Porsche, Toyota, Nissan, Audi and Pagani.

Make time for it in your XRDC schedule, because attendees are going to gain a unique understanding of the challenges faced when developing on cutting-edge hardware—and how new graphics tech can be used to enhance XR experiences.

XRDC takes place this October 29th and 30th in San Francisco at the Westin St. Francis Hotel. Now that registration is open, you’ll want to look over XRDC passes and prices and register early to get the best deal.

Pandora Launches Personalized Audio Ad Formats Amid ‘Renaissance’

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Between connected homes, smart speakers and the continued growth of podcasts along with other spoken word formats, audio is experiencing a kind of renaissance. Streaming platform Pandora is helping brands take advantage of this trend by announcing three new ad audio formats: dynamic audio that changes according to different variables; sequential audio for delivering multiple messages over a period of time; and short form audio that delivers the message across in four to ten seconds.

The music streaming platform currently has over 71 million active monthly users across the US, and dynamic audio takes into account a multitude of variables that can include location, time of day, weather and music preference to personalize different aspects of a given ad. For example, if a user is near a coffeehouse on a hot morning, they might be encouraged to get an iced coffee, while someone else could be served an ad for a less caffeinated drink if it’s late in the day.

“We like to say, ‘personalization at scale,’” Pandora vice president of innovation strategy, Claire Fanning, told AList. “Similar how you might target a specific population with a certain message, [dynamic audio] allows for a little more hypertargeting, to the point where you might get thousands of permutations within a single audio ad because of variance from not only within the target itself, but also external parameters.”

Advertisers determine what elements they want to pursue, changing everything from the ad’s background music to the narrator’s voice depending on the tastes that they’re targeting. They can also set the refresh rate to any time span for mobile listeners.

Pandora and Veritonic analytics tested the new ad formats with 20 brand partners. According to Veritonic co-founder and COO Andrew Eisner, two-thirds of test respondents were unaware that they were being served dynamic audio ads, suggesting that there’s room to target and personalize even further. But tests also revealed that dynamic ads created a 125 percent increase in purchase intent and grew brand recall by 13 percent.

The sequential audio format enables storytellers to reach consumers in an architected sequence—meaning brands can use sequential audio to tell different anecdotes around a campaign, describe a brand from different angles, or retailers could showcase multiple products instead of having the same ones presented repeatedly.

Both audio ad formats may complement each other and can be used in coordination with short form audio. One example includes starting with a 30-second ad to begin a story, then following up with multiple 10-second ads to reinforce the message and create awareness without causing fatigue.

“There’s a simplicity of messaging when you’re just trying to get someone into the store,” said Fanning. “Sometimes less is more, and more ends up adding to a diluted message.”

However, performance is brand specific. A 10-second ad where Lays introduced a new potato chip flavor outperformed its 30-second spot, driving a lift in foot traffic, sales and conversions. But the opposite was true for an insurance provider, which needed to be more upfront with its details using a longer ad format.

Pandora is still determining best practices for these ad formats and how they can be used in conjunction with each other. Optimal uses for formats such as sequential audio are also impacted by the kinds of stories brands look to tell. As the company continues to test, it will eventually expand the ad format to podcasts.

“There’s a lot of buzz around the audio space, and the attention is toward ‘what should my audio strategy be,’” said Fanning, emphasizing how personalized ads are new to digital audio. Brands must determine the story they want to tell, how much time they want to spend telling it and whether each component is relevant to individual audiences.

‘Terminator Salvation’ VR Sets Stage For Interactive Branded Experiences

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Location-based VR start-up Spaces made its debut on Thursday with Terminator Salvation: Fight for the Future—a branded experience that immerses players into the blockbuster franchise. Designed for sharing on social media, the virtual adventure gives a high-end twist to VR marketing.

It’s no surprise that Spaces chose a branded VR experience for its first offering. The company got its start at Dreamworks Animation, where Spaces co-founders Shiraz Akmal and Brad Herman started DreamLab—a creative division that created VR marketing activations for films like How to Train Your Dragon 2.

“We’ve had a long-standing relationship with most of the studios,” Akmal, Spaces CEO told AList. “We’ve interfaced with all these IPs over the years so we have a good track record of delivering on the promise of whatever the IP in terms of staying on brand.”

Spaces chose Terminator as its first high-end VR experience for several reasons, but mostly because it is a brand recognized throughout the world. As fans themselves, Akmal and Herman leveraged their relationship with Skydance to offer Terminator Salvation at the grand opening of their Irvine, CA location. Not only is the Terminator franchise known and beloved by fans across multiple generations, it will remain in the public conscience for the foreseeable future—Skydance is in the process of rebooting the film franchise, with the first installment being released in 2019.

Terminator Salvation equips up to four guests in VR headsets, haptic weapons, foot and hand trackers and a backpack carrying an integrated HP computer. Players have their faces scanned into 3D, which are superimposed onto their bodies while in the simulation. The VR adventure takes place on a stage, where guests can interact with props and feel wind effects (with the help of nearby fans). Players must infiltrate the enemy by becoming terminators (deadly cyborgs), travel through time and achieve certain goals to save humankind.

Spaces created the VR experience to be shared with others not only in real life but later on social media. Players are given a free 15-second clip of themselves playing in the game. They can also purchase a longer cut for $10, suitable for sharing on longer platforms like Facebook or YouTube.

“We know we live in a very social media-driven world,” Herman, Spaces CTO said. “It’s not just about the experiences that you have, but it’s about the experiences that you share.”

“VR is an opportunity to put you in the experience so that video clip is really meaningful to people,” added Akmal. “They can see and hear themselves having a great time. We’re finding that it’s really connecting and resonating with our guests.”

Wearing a VR headset can be an isolating experience, but arcades like Spaces are making the experience a social affair. Spaces sees the trend continuing into the near future, with companies like Dave and Busters investing millions into the technology.

The implications of high-end location-based VR are promising for brands, Akmal explained. Although Spaces is open to hosting original VR experiences, the company is more interested in using established franchises with built-in audiences.

“We have a history of working with marketing teams and connecting with audiences,” said Akmal. “What I’m seeing here [at the Irvine grand opening] is that customers are able to engage with the experience in a way that they can’t any other way. This leaves a mark in peoples’ mind where they never forget. It’s super unique compared to watching TV or seeing an advertisement. It’s definitely a fantastic way to connect to audiences in a way that’s meaningful and long-lasting.”

Spaces will soon launch a metrics-driven marketing campaign to promote the Terminator Salvation experience that includes social media, print and local billboards.

Forever 21 Launches AI-Driven Visual Search To Enhance Shopping

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Forever 21 is making online shopping more experiential with its new visual search and navigation tool. With it, users can skip typing terms into the search bar and get straight to browsing apparel that best suits their tastes.

The visual search function is available through the “Discover Your Style” module on the Forever 21 app and its homepage when accessed from a mobile browser. Users narrow down the selection of clothing by tapping icons representing styles, colors, length and more to narrow down their search parameters.

“Discover Your Style” originally debuted in May on the Forever 21 iOS app, but it was limited only to dresses and tops. In that test period, the company saw increased sale conversations, with purchase averages for both categories growing by 20 percent. It is now available for use across a broad variety of clothing styles, using artificial intelligence, natural language processing and computer vision to quickly serve relevant search results to users.

According to the announcement, shoppers tend to abandon ecommerce sites if they can’t find what they’re looking for within three clicks. One study shows that millennials prefer to have a blend of technology and curation when shopping and having fast, personalized and intuitive search tools are critical to engaging with young consumers.

Forever 21 president Alex Ok said in a statement, “Visual search technology bridges the gap between the convenience of online shopping and the rich discovery experience of traditional retail by enabling our customers to search for clothing in the same way they think about it—using visuals, not words. Early data shows that this is one of the most important innovations in the ecommerce space in recent years.”

The company will work to further develop the visual search technology as part of its omnichannel shopping experience, leveraging it for merchandising, recommendations and lifecycle marketing efforts.

Soulmates.AI Releases Latest Earned Media Value Index Monthly Report

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Soulmates.AI proudly announces its latest a.EMVI (Earned Media Value Index) Monthly Report to help brands, agencies and others in the marketing industry see the latest trends in earned media value.

The a.EMVI takes on one of the most elusive questions of modern-day marketing: How valuable are my efforts on social media? Our Index is the industry standard for judging the earned media value of the likes, comments and shares from on social media platforms. The Index provides actual dollar values for interactions and engagements on social media, providing baselines value for the industry to use for comparison and reporting.

While these baseline values (based on our full cross-section of research) are available for each social media network, this month we are highlighting the consumer electronics industry and using our Vertical values, which are available as a premium. These values are based on isolated, industry-specific research to offer the most precise reporting available.

The monthly report spotlights the industry’s earned media frontrunners. This invaluable tool gives a monetary value to the monthly efforts of earned media from these brands:

  • Google leads the pack with $155,841.91
  • Microsoft comes second with $45,601.84
  • ASUS very close behind with $43,714.45
  • Intel comes in strong with $21,340.04
  • IBM finishes off the leaders with $15,069.43

The report also provides a breakdown of which brands are the most influential on each major social platform.

  • Instagram creates a huge market for Google, which brings in $99,895.08
  • Facebook shows to be a big stage for ASUS, earning $19,118.57
  • Twitter also shows how influential Google is, reaching $30,700.58
  • YouTube, although small, provides a platform for Google which is earning $20,211.70

The a.EMVI Monthly Report offers just a glimpse at the utility of the a.EMVI. For more details on using the a.EMVI to help track your social media and gain the exceptional insight it brings, sign up for our monthly newsletter so you won’t miss our trend reports.

To learn more about our methodology, check out our complimentary white paper here.

If you would like to bring the power of a.EMVI to your company or platform, contact us at: info@soulmates.ai to get a list of our dashboard and API options. 

About Soulmates.AI:
A part of a.network, Soulmates.AI helps companies gain a deep and actionable understanding of social speech and expression so they can build relationships between creators, companies and consumers. We are scientists, technologists and marketers who want to fix advertising and make it truly beneficial for all. Learn more at: soulmates.ai.

Fuzzify.me Browser Extension Pulls Open The Ad Targeting Curtain

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For most people, online ad targeting takes place in the background where it happens without notice, but Mozilla fellows Joana Varon, Becca Ricks and Hang Do Thi Duc are have set out to shed a little light on the process. The group have developed a browser extension called Fuzzify.me to educate users on how they’re being targeted by Facebook ads and gives them tools to bypass some of them.

The plugin works in both Firefox and Chrome and requires ad blockers to be turned off. With that done, Fuzzify.me tracks all the ads users are presented with on Facebook along with reasons why those specific ads are being shown.

Although this information is already available through Facebook’s recently installed “Why am I seeing this?” feature, the plugin offers a less subtle way for users to be informed about how they’re being targeted by advertisers. Additionally, the extension provides deeper insight as to how brands are using Facebook, such as what information and categories they’re using to reach specific users and demographics.

As an added feature, the plugin lets users clear out all their ad preferences in one fell swoop to limit the information advertisers can use. Facebook also makes it possible to turn this information off in preferences, but the tools are divided into a multitude of vague categories such as “Frequent Travelers,” each filled with a collection of advertisers and interests that must be disabled individually, making it a hassle for people to use. The extension encourages users to clean out their data on a regular basis to gain more insight about how advertisers are targeting them and to better determine whether Facebook’s privacy controls actually work as they’re supposed to.

While some might believe that the extension was created in response to growing data privacy concerns, that isn’t entirely the case. In an interview with VentureBeat, Varon said that Fuzzify.me came out of a research project that explored how sexist ads are served. It then grew into a project created in partnership with Who Targets Me to “demystify ad targeting.” Over 7,000 people have downloaded the extension, and it found that the majority of ads for baby-related products were shown to women.

According to Varon, “The idea of the extension is to bring transparency [to ad targeting] and start a discussion about who is targeting you.”

Consumers Reward Brands’ Social Media Transparency, Report Finds

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Sprout Social released a report that states transparency is the key and social media can be leveraged to establish deeper connections while inspiring stronger loyalty from consumers. The analytics company surveyed 1,000 consumers in the US about their expectations of brand transparency and the role social media plays in communication.

“Transparency” is a vaguely defined term but most respondents associate it words like “open,” “clear” and “honest.” Meanwhile, the lack of transparency is characterized by phrases such as “withholding information,” “ignoring customer questions” and “ignoring employee questions.”

According to the findings, 86 percent of consumers said that brand transparency is “very important,” with almost the same percentage saying that openness would inspire them to stay with a company or give it a second chance after a bad experience. Almost three-quarters of consumers would pay more for products from a brand that guarantees total transparency, while almost half said they’d recommend the company to friends and family. The report also found that over half of consumers feel that companies are morally obligated to be transparent.

Forming lasting connections requires continuous dedication and improvement based on what audiences want to hear. Therefore, brands shouldn’t regard transparency as strictly a marketing tactic or a shift in communication strategy. Instead, every level of an organization should adjust how it engages with consumers to determine how the brand wants to be defined.

Sprout states: “As social has increased opportunities for people and brands to readily connect, it has also driven heightened expectations on which the majority of businesses are falling short.”

These calls for greater transparency are driven largely by millennials who believe that interaction through social media is key to establishing authentic relationships. In fact, they demand more openness from brands than they do politicians, friends and family, and prefer social media over traditional forms of communications such as ads and media interviews.

The report adds that consumers expect ongoing two-way communication on social media as a bare minimum, with these platforms being the first places they turn to be entertained, educated and to “have their needs met without having to ask.”

Acts that demonstrate transparency include admitting to mistakes, providing honest answers to customer questions and being upfront about pricing. Over half of consumers want to be informed about product and service changes, the company’s values and its business practices over social media. Also, the overwhelming majority said that video was the most transparent form of communication.

3M Wraps Up St. Paul Headquarters For ‘Wonder Campaign’

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The 3M Company added a major feature to its St. Paul, Minnesota headquarters with a massive wrap around that covers 30 percent of two sides of the building. The 12-story installation reads, “Curiosity is just the beginning,” and can be seen from the adjacent highway. It is designed to be a visual representation of the company’s Wonder Campaign, which “seeks to inspire people to examine the world around them and see that curiosity can lead to great discoveries.”

Almost 500 pieces of 3M graphic film were placed together like a mosaic on each side of the building, an act meant to reinforce the brand’s position as a science and technology company. The perforated film placed on the windows allow 60 percent of light to shine through and for people to see out while still reflecting color to outside viewers.

The Wonder Campaign is centered around “what if’s” like: What if phones were people-proof?; Can darkness reveal the light?; What if homes helped around the house? Technologies including self-driving smart buses, energy efficient smart homes are already in development at the company, and the brand hopes the new installation may drive more people to become curious about what 3M products they might see in their daily lives someday.

3M partnered with the Vomela Companies to print and install the design that now covers much of their headquarters. Paul Peterson, operations director for The Vomela Companies said in a statement, “We have partnered with 3M for 70 years and this project is an excellent example of design creativity and best-in-class application of 3M Science.”