BrewDog - Hazy Hotline, Edinburgh Fringe

Summary

Working with The.Team for BrewDog’s sponsorship of Underbelly at the Edinburgh Fringe, we created the technology behind an interactive branded phone box, turning what could have been a simple photo opportunity into a playful consumer experience. The original brief was to introduce audio and a competition mechanic while keeping the experience simple, reliable and cost-effective for a busy festival environment.

We developed an unattended, handset-led experience built around a retro telephone. When a visitor picked up the receiver, the handset automatically triggered a BrewDog audio message, inviting them to continue the experience by scanning a QR code inside the booth. The QR connected into BrewDog and Underbelly’s digital prize journey, allowing the physical installation and online competition mechanic to work seamlessly together.

To give the experience its own personality, we also created a suite of AI-generated voice recordings from BrewDog’s scripts. The technology was concealed within the physical build, with the software responding directly to the handset being lifted so that, from the visitor’s perspective, it behaved like a real phone call.

Provision handled the technical development, audio production, hardware integration, configuration, testing and installation, creating a robust system that could operate throughout the Fringe with minimal staff involvement and limited reliance on festival connectivity. The finished result combined a very simple interaction, pick up, listen, scan, play, with the character and theatre of a physical BrewDog activation.

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