Into Saigon Market
Multi-channel campaign
Year: 2023
Collaborator: Nhi Bui
Support: Tinh Truong, Bam Tran
Category: Visual Identity, 3D Concept,
Interactive Design, Animation, Interactive, AR
Local traditional markets (chợ) have been part and parcel of Vietnamese culture. While facing downsizing and disbandment,
the Saigon traditional markets retain their role as gateways into the deeper layers of local culture. In this context, 'Into Saigon Market' emerges as a multi-channel campaign that promotes tourism in lesser-known local markets in Saigon. Integrating gamification and emerging technology throughout the touchpoints, the campaign creates an authentic and captivating tourist experience.
Guided by the creative direction of portraying lesser-known local markets as “portals” into deeper cultural dimensions, the campaign invites travellers to embark on a trail with curated routes based on different themes into the markets. Thereby, the campaign allows tourists to learn cultural stories and experience the multi-faceted beauty of Saigon markets.
”Into Saigon Markets” unfolds across three phases: Before-Trip, On-Site, and After-Trip. Before the trip, It starts with interactive AR-integrated posters which advertise the campaign across physical and digital platforms. Then, the tourists are directed to a mobile app offering previews of the curated routes with 3D miniatures. The experience also comes with an AR Companion to help the users navigate the way and learn cultural stories. At the market, innovative geofencing technology automatically checks users in, while the app's post-trip features enable sharing and rewarding badges for an engaging post-experience.
By transforming the lesser-known Saigon markets into tourist-driven attractions, the campaign supports sustainable development and positions them as invaluable cultural assets.
Promotional Video
Big Idea
As the assignment requires the outcome to be related to typography, my big idea for the project focuses on the transformation of the letters into the symbol from Metamorphosis. This approach aims to align with the theme of the story, which is a surreal deformation into a monstrous, disturbing entity.
Art Direction
I decided to employ the medium of 3D since it could enhance the effect, turning the letters and symbol into organic, breathing, moving, living creatures.
Sketches
After deciding to focus on the metaphorical aspect of the novel, I move on to analyse symbols from the novel to pick out the most significant ones.
Although Metamorphosis is packed with metaphorical imageries, I shortlisted them down to 4 symbols: the bug, the clock, the apple, and the violin since they are most prominant imageries that mark the main phases of the story.
Final AR Cards Design
3D Morphing
Animation
The treatment for the 3D material and the animation aimed to embody the notion of transition, transformation, or to be exact, deformation. As the symbols and letters morph, they emphasize the deformation process of the story.
Hover over the thumbnail to activate the animation!
AR Interaction
(Recorded)
As the viewers scan the memento card, they will experience the morphing of the words into symbols. To make it even more interactive, the viewers could freeze and continue the morphing transformation at any moment by tapping on the screen. This allows them to inspect the morphing more thoroughly and thus, engage with the project better.
The AR Experience is demonstrated in the video on the right-hand side.
Exhibition Booth
The project is showcased at RMIT University Vietnam in September 2022 under the course Type and Design with the instructions of lecturer Nguyen Hung Giang.