The space which Nicola designed for this campaign was presented online through social media. It wasn’t until afterward that it was revealed by Adidas that the entire space was a virtual one in which models were placed in this structure via green screen. This very concept creates and inspires a whole new idea for companies to interact with the public. Marrying the virtual and physical aspects of this imagined world required efforts in both arenas. While working on this project the contrast of the virtual work space and the real work space became very apparent and reinforced the idea that the work demanded by the physical world is far from insignificant. Nicola was creating the environment on her computer while a large group of participants took care of the studio, the models, staging of the events, the interview, and post-production.
Beck strongly professes that digital advancements and usage is not something that she utilizes to reject the properties of the real world in her designs. Using them for creativity rather than diversion she comments, “I do not see a future for the idea of virtual reality but rather for an augmented or a mixed reality. Usually these innovations are developed from the side of technology; from a digital perspective in which the analog is neglected. I am rooted in the physical world and view the digital realm as an opportunity to extend reality. Buildings are created by real world limitations and materials, but the virtual environment is not affected by the same rules and opens up new opportunities. When the borders of analog and virtual are blurred is when augmented reality becomes successful. From my perspective, the future lies in finding a new way to combine the strengths of both sides. We have seen an increase in very minimalistic architecture that is often criticized as being too simple and uninspired while the provocative concepts are labeled unbuildable or too expensive. By enhancing the built with virtual elements, designers are able to overcome these limitations. The challenge for designers and architects now is to convince the public that the digital is equally desirable but not supposed to be a replacement for our natural environment.”
In today’s climate, with so many who are polarized in terms of traditional or contemporary approaches in promotion and marketing…Nicola Beck combined both of these ideas. Her work on the Adidas Tubular Campaign (Check-In Experiment) massively raised awareness with an approach that was manifested in an almost ridiculously short amount of time; a stunning achievement for both Beck and Adidas. What’s even more important is that she exposed the public and this company to the idea that the methods of the past have merit in the approaches of the future.