Polestar

LOCATION

Sydney, Australia

SCOPE

Strategy
Creative Design and Development
Logistics
Production
Brand Activations
Assets Build

THE ART OF THE REVEAL AT MACHINE HALL

PURPOSE

Designteam set out to launch the Polestar 5 in Australia with a mission to deliver a customer experience that was unmistakably Polestar.

The program’s aim was to move beyond a traditional product launch through the careful construction of a cohesive narrative around a reveal, with strong surrounding visuals and connection at the core.

We positioned the Polestar 5 Australian launch to reinforce the brand's position as a luxury performance brand, serving as a key milestone to drive significant earned media coverage and early customer consideration. The end-to-end delivery of the program immersed guests in imagery of the car's design and future use, allowing them to step into a meticulously designed space that showcased Polestar’s vision and impact. Every interaction was designed to be purposeful and nurturing, fostering engagement with the brand to deliver a lasting, positive impact.

CHALLENGE

The project presented a complex set of requirements. Our team had to construct a cohesive narrative environment that made each guest feel valued. This required an audience-first design that facilitated rewarding, personal experiences and allowed for closeness between attendees as well as local and global brand representatives.

A strategic necessity involved matching the latest global branding updates for Polestar. This required identifying a local space in the Sydney CBD that offered a specific industrial and gallery feel and enough dimension to allow for 360-degree guest access to the vehicle without compromising the intimacy of the brand story. Once the venue was selected, our team needed to ensure near-perfect navigation of strict venue constraints and complex car transport within a dense urban centre, all while delivering the program within a compressed pre-production.

SOLUTION

Machine Hall was selected as the central setting to house the immersive launch program, employing the site's architectural presence and clean industrial detail to anchor a three-act visitor journey. This approach used a performance architecture theme, making use of the venue's natural design attributes.

Each gust was welcomed at a bespoke gold-branded counter before transitioning to an elevated mezzanine gallery featuring teaser artworks of the Polestar 5 to build anticipation. The journey then moved to the lower ground floor, where the vehicle was positioned as the focal point under the signature rigged lightbox and feature LED screen with graphics. We built suspense for the reveal through the ‘Paparazzi’ film with synchronised lighting flashes that signalled the vehicle's first physical appearance in Australia, followed by an expert-led panel discussion that provided insights into the history and philosophy of the brand.

To achieve this seamless guest experience, the team handled everything from logistics and programming vehicle transport to specialised staff training – ensuring complete synergy across the night.

OUTCOME

The program achieved flawless delivery across three full sessions in a single day, ensuring no damage to any assets. The audience reported deep connections in the immersive environment throughout the night. – leading to a feeling of shared discovery and meaningful exchange within the environment. The event generated extensive media reach across platforms like YouTube, Instagram, and LinkedIn through organic posts and earned coverage from invited media and tastemakers. By bringing people together in this way, the event helped everyone feel closer to the brand and its team, making the experience more personal and memorable.

"All the attributes of a first-class event."

"Our minimalist brand is all about the tiny details, and once again you absolutely nailed the brief down to the millimetre."

The project established a new global benchmark in stand-alone launch event design that exceeded expectations. It successfully reinstalled pride in the brand across new and legacy audiences while increasing the product's presence in the Australian market. 

"Congratulations again on a very well executed event. Truly pushed the boundaries this time and delivered outstanding results important to the business and team…"