Emile Rademeyer,
Creative Director at VANDAL in Sydney, predicts a Bladerunner-esque future in
which any surface can be transformed using augmented reality.
If he’s right,
creatives of the future are going to need very different skills in order to
transform entire environments “with an augmented, digital overlay” – a task
that’s obviously very different from making an ad.
Can you give some clues as to the case study you’ll be showcasing at ADFEST 2019?
How did advertising
get here? What does the future have in store for us? The case study will
showcase the experiential power of augmented reality and how it evokes real
human emotion that enhances consumer behaviour. It will also reveal the vast
treasure trove of data available and how to make use of it.
Are there any AR projects you’re especially proud of playing a role in?
VANDAL’s AR campaign
for World Square Lunar New Year 2018 is a project I’m particularly proud of. In
an Australian first, VANDAL with our partner Virtual Immersive delivered an AR
campaign that utilised brand new technology never before implemented to this
scale in Australia.
The campaign was a
roaring success and has most certainly redefined the retail landscape here in
Australia. It has been awarded many gold accolades and is a testament to our
client’s forward-thinking attitude in embracing creative use of technology such
as AR.
What’s VANDAL all about – how is it different to more traditional production companies?
VANDAL is a creative
studio that crafts innovative moving images, sound, art and experiences for
digital platforms of all kinds. Our work includes beautifully crafted
executions for entertainment platforms, interactive experiences, advertising,
animation, visual effects, projection mapping, virtual reality, augmented
reality, digital placemaking as well as niche art, design, sculpture and experiential
projects.
VANDAL doesn’t use
technology for the sake of using technology. Our focus is on creativity: having
an exceptionally strong idea and the ability to utilise technology to bring
ideas to life never thought possible before. We’re media and medium independent
and can utilise any physical or digital platform to bring creativity to life.
This has been very appealing to our clients and has set us apart from more
traditional production companies.
You oversee curation of the VANDAL Art Gallery in Redfern. Why did you take on this side gig and what sort of work do you showcase?
VANDAL Gallery
showcases our groundbreaking collaboration with the best artists, creatives,
coders, technologists, designers, illustrators, animators, filmmakers, photographers
and musicians. Home to Sydney Art Month, Fringe Festival and MCA Young
Ambassadors, we invite anyone with a passion for creativity to collaborate with
us in defining Sydney’s most contradistinctive art gallery.
Are there any Australian new media artists that you have your eye on right now?
Singling artists out
is always a tough one. Mixed-media artist Luke Batten’s exhibition “Consumed”
was off the charts, with an incredible amount of people attending opening
night. I also loved Chris Leaver’s “The Kingdom of God” for Sydney Art Month.
Further abroad, my art crush is most certainly Felipe Pantone!
Favourite discovery of 2018?
Finally coming to the
realisation (on their wedding day) that the actress from the TV show Suits is actually the same person that
is getting married to Prince Harry. I always wondered how two people could
looks so uncannily similar.
* ‘Augmented Reality is the Future of Advertising’, presented by Emile Rademeyer, takes place on Thursday 21st March, 12:25 – 1pm.
