Matthew Miller
Nov 26, 2014

Simulator turns trending topics into 'Ahhhhhhhhhhhhh!'

JAPAN - The Trend Coaster, created for Yahoo Japan and appearing at a couple of events in Japan this week, turns keyword popularity on social media into a hair-raising virtual amusement park ride.

Client: Yahoo Japan

Agency: Hakuhodo and production company Dot x Dot

Market: Japan

What it is: Yahoo Trend Coaster is "the world’s first virtual roller coaster simulator generating ride in tandem with changing waves of the popularity of a keyword used in social networking service postings. By taking the changing number of social networking service postings containing a chosen keyword, shown in the form of a line graph in Real Time Search of Yahoo Search, and transforming it into virtual 3D trending waveform, Yahoo Trend Coaster offers its rider the one-of-a-kind virtual experience going through the ups and downs of the trend."

Wait, what? You provide a keyword. You sit in a car that can move under hydraulic power and you wear an Oculus Rift headset. The system builds a track based on the popularity of your keyword, and you enjoy the virtual ride.

Comments: Was someone asking for this? Actually, who cares? We'd sure like to try it. Anyone who attended Engadget Fes Akihabara Monday or is attending ad:tech Kansai today or tomorrow, we'd love to hear your first-hand report. 

Previously: In 2013, the same partners created a memorable effort to allow visually impaired children to search the internet.

CREDITS

Agency company: Hakuhodo / Hakuhodo Kettle
Production company: dot by dot inc.
AID-DCC Inc., Invisible Designs Lab., Kirifuda, tkrworks, beatnik, Fulfillment, AQUIRAX, Tokyo, CAVIAR, TOW, Material

Source:
Campaign Asia

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