Google Stadia at gamescom 2019

The Brief

Stadia is a cloud gaming service operated by Google. Google Stadia made its debut as a new IP at gamescom 2019. The Trade Group was tasked with finding a fun and experiential way of communicating the unique selling points of the platform. The challenge was that there was limited resources to pull design inspiration and guidance from, other than their logo, color palette and key tenants.

The Solution

The Google Stadia activation was especially exciting because the new gaming platform was being launched at the event. Stadia is a revolutionary cloud-based gaming platform that allows gamers to play where they want, how they want and when they want. That overarching message played a key role in the design concept for the booth, and The Trade Group pulled out all the stops to get that message across.

The Activation

Stadia “elevates the experience” of gaming, so The Trade Group added a branded glass elevator that took guests up to a third-floor deck. This design element was difficult to get approved by the German government, but in the end, made a huge difference to the overall look and feel of the exhibit. Stadia also allows the gamer to automatically “jump into the game” without the hassle of logging in and waiting for the game to load. To illustrate that feature, we installed a three-story slide that instantly transported attendees in front of a green screen and into a variety of games – thus showing how gamers can “slide” right into their games.

The Results

gamescom had never seen a three-story exhibit, an elevator, or a slide so this exhibit encompassed a lot of firsts and really made a huge impact on attendees – a very successful debut for Stadia! The fun B2C experience alluded to the fact that Stadia allows players to instantly jump into games because there’s no downloading or waiting. It was very metaphorical and brand-centric, while at the same time, remarkably fun.