Blackspace looks back on 2017 as a year of major change and fantastic business success. The experience designers are busy reinventing themselves – along with brand experiences for MunichRe, Volkswagen and Green City. Thereby they reveal their mission to “Reinvent the experience” in two respects.
Change puts agency on target
With revenues of 8.5 million euros, Managing Partners Michael Keller, Christoph Rohrer and Marc Ziegler show that their change process is the right strategy for the agency. The owner-managed design company has also been physically separated from KMS TEAM since summer 2017. In this time of major transformation, the experts for branding, new experience formats and brand strategy are focused on what they do best: acting as a creative partner to help companies and institutions make their own changes and visions visible to the public. Christoph Rohrer explained the agency’s approach: “Companies today are under a great deal of pressure to reinvent themselves. Classic marketing has become obsolete. Instead, companies really need new formats that are relevant and make sense. They want to create truly memorable experiences.”
New clients and projects in 2017
This approach won Blackspace a number of new clients in 2017: In addition to Munich Re and medium-sized companies Bulthaup, Sick AG and Rehau, the agency now supports the Munich Symphony Orchestra as well as Green City, an innovative electromobility and new energy provider. Blackspace also works for long-time clients like Audi, o2, Heidelberger Druckmaschinen, Siemens Home Appliances and Volkswagen, creating installations for international trade shows as well as new experience formats, such as a dealer convention in the form of an AR show.
Experience designers face a unique challenge when it comes to translating innovative technologies or abstract products and services into new touch points. For example, they created a global “Brand Space” for reinsurance company Munich Re. This pop-up branded space presented future business fields in an expanded virtual reality experience with haptic elements for users to physically touch and feel. Blackspace also ushered Audi into the digital age in 2017 with a complete brand relaunch that promotes a relationship between people and the brand, fostering a dialogue between the two. Last year, Blackspace received over 30 international awards for its work.
Reinvent the experience
According to Managing Partner Marc Ziegler, Blackspace’s design excellence stems from its creative team of brand, motion, 3D and digital designers, as well as strategists and project managers – the “Black Lab”: “Our work is 100% innovation- and idea-driven. We put together a team of people for each project with specific strengths and interests in this particular area. We don’t have any rigid structures or follow any set formulas. This is how we create solutions for our clients that challenge and go beyond what’s known.” The agency plans another relocation to get more space for its creative work, now moving to Munich’s Kunstareal art district. The exact location is still a secret – a “Blackspace” in the true sense of the word.
