Echo Escape
The World’s First Escape Experience Powered by Voice.
Amazon wanted to show off the functionality of Alexa to a very specific subsegment of the tech market: “Influential Geeks.” Data showed that this group connected with brands through entertainment-forward experiences rather than advertising. So we found the perfect place to meet them—New York Comic Con—and created a first-of-its-kind product demo.
Echo Escape was the world’s first escape experience powered by voice, a 15-minute Jack Ryan-themed action-mystery that seamlessly showcased the capabilities of Alexa and the Amazon Echo family of devices while players raced the clock to save the world.
Echo Escape was a five-room, 1200 square foot structure that was first designed and prototyped in a California warehouse before being shipped and assembled on the floor of the Javits Center in New York. All the action inside was monitored in a control room.
To scale the activation beyond the convention floor, we partnered with Twitch and three of their biggest streaming celebs: CaptainSparklez, Swiftor and OMGitsfirefoxx. The gamers were invited via mysterious, custom-programmed, voice-activated packages. Then we locked them and their teams inside Echo Escape for a live-streamed event that saw millions tune in to what became the most viewed non-gaming content in Twitch history.
On gameday, Esports superstar host Kelly Link commentated while legions of their fans did more than just watch—those same fans were able to influence the game in real time. Through Twitch emotes and Alexa commands, the internet masses did everything from unlocking the door to allow in selfie-seeking superfans, to delivering clues, to activating alarms, to ordering distraction pizzas.
Recognition: Cannes Lions 2018: Three Shortlists - Entertainment (Emerging Tech for Games), Outdoor (Immersive Experiences, Interactive Experiences), Media (Ambient Large Scale) // 2018 One Show: Silver (Interactive/Experiential Innovation), Merits (Branded Entertainment Innovation and Innovation in Responsive Environments) // 2018 D&AD Awards: Wood Pencil (Experiential/Trade Show), Wood Pencil (Branded Content and Entertainment/Immersive).
Credits:
Creative Teams: Amazon XCM & AKQA Portland
Concept, Creative Direction: Myself, AKQA CDs Whit Jenkins & Brad Hall
XCM Leadership, Account Mgt, Technology: Sean Ohlenkamp, David Rosenberg, Katie Klein, Hans Weiss
AKQA EP, Account, Strategy, Technology: Dustin Freeman, Sunil Mohan, Seb Arrivault, Chris Maddock
Escape Room Fabrication: UNIT 9
Livestream Partner: Twitch
New York Comic Con Production: ReedPop
Special thanks to Amazon Studios and Intel for their partnership in bringing Echo Escape to life.