What we did
- Design Idea and Creation
- Installation and Logistics
- Structural Engineering
- Event Staffing and Management
- Set Build and Development
- 3D Mock-Ups and Visuals
- International Liaison
- Paid and Organic Social Strategy
nhow Hotels Amsterdam Canal Stunt
In Brief
After the wildly successful London campaign, nhow Hotels tasked us with producing an equally attention-grabbing stunt with the giant chameleon to launch their newest Amsterdam RAI hotel.
In Detail
Following on from our Truman Brewery stunt with the hotel brand, in which we hoisted and rigged an 8m chameleon to the Truman Brewery tower in Shoreditch, nhow Hotels asked us to keep up the momentum and take the chameleon overseas!
A brand-new nhow hotel had been built in the Amsterdam area and, to promote its opening, we took to the canals in true Amsterdam fashion. Patch, the chameleon, was installed onto a fully branded, motorized pontoon that sailed through the city and lit up during the night.
The first day of proceedings involved local, Dutch media being invited down to the new hotel. After a short tour and a speech, the guests were guided to a beautiful dock by this series of giant, pink chameleon footprints and a team of colourful hosts. Upon arrival they were invited on board a fully catered canal boat ready to head into the city centre. Once they had navigated the smaller canals, they entered the large Amstel canal and were surprised to see the Chameleon sailing alongside in co-ordination with their vessel. Plenty of pictures and videos were taken with the iconic architecture of Amsterdam providing a scenic backdrop.
After the initial media launch, the pontoon was sent out into the inner-city canals for 3 days where it would tour Amsterdam and cover the most famous locations in the city. Tourists and locals all had the chance to snap a picture of the giant, colour changing sculpture. They could use their image to enter a competition for a free stay at the new hotel, by sharing it on Instagram and using the hashtag #changenhow. The hosts from the launch event were also out in the city, following the chameleon, gifting bags to pedestrians as well as explaining what this stunt represented and how people could get involved.
Once the 3 days of navigating through the Amsterdam canals were complete, 2 giant cranes and an operations team assisted by engineers managed to securely install the chameleon to a bespoke built plinth on the hotel balcony for it to be seen by all from afar. Patch was hoisted up onto the south facing, 10th floor terrace of the hotel where he will live for the next few months. Keep your eyes peeled because there could be some future activity in the pipeling for Patch the Chameleon …
