Visitors to this year’s Formula 1® Rolex Australian Grand Prix discovered there were more sensations to be enjoyed beyond the sound and fury of the on-track racing action.
Situated within the main Fan Zone, near the Porsche in Motion exhibition and the Porsche Paynter Dixon Carrera Cup Australia paddock, was a fascinating box-like building, an architectural creation emblazoned with the phrase NATURE CREATED ELECTRICITY, PORSCHE GAVE IT SOUL. Underneath it for the duration of the racing weekend was a queue of people, each of them eager to satisfy their curiosity.
“Welcome to Electrify Me,” said the host to visitors as they entered the doorway and into a darkened atmosphere.
“This experiential display celebrates Porsche electric performance,” said Daniel Schmollinger, MD and CEO of Porsche Cars Australia at the global unveiling of Electrify Me on Wednesday. “It’s an opportunity for guests to immerse themselves in a sensory journey that translates the thrilling experience of driving the Porsche Taycan, and to also enjoy a sense of the future of driving with Porsche’s electric sportscars.”
Open to everyone attending this year’s Formula 1® Australian Grand Prix, Electrify Me was a brand-first created by Porsche Cars Australia. The experiential design was a carefully crafted journey which comprised three separate sensory zones, each evoking different sensations.
As visitors walked inside, they were met with the calming effects of the Nature Zone. This tranquil night-time environment of woodland ferns, shrubs and lush greenery was accompanied by forest fragrances. Together, they reset guests’ sense of calm after the intense excitement of the Grand Prix racing atmosphere outside.
“This experiential display celebrates Porsche electric performance.” Daniel Schmollinger, MD and CEO of Porsche Cars Australia
When visitors turned the corner into the Electric Tunnel Zone, they were greeted by a new pace and energy. Electricity in its raw form was showcased by a collection of transparent plasma spheres illuminating the main wall, each resembling a collection of lightning bolts captured in glass balls. The matching bright LED lines following the floor in this darkened tunnel ushered visitors into the third Electrify Me Zone, where they experienced the 4D Cinema Room.
Inside this darkened space, visitors were immersed in a powerful video depicting nature and its creation of electricity, and how Porsche has imbued this power with soul by harnessing it within the Taycan, the brand’s first all-electric sportscar. Supported by kaleidoscopic laser lighting and a commanding soundtrack, the video’s imagery of nature and power are communicated with sensory impact, and includes footage of Porsche Brand Ambassador and Australian Motorsport Legend Mark Webber, climbing the steep switch-back roads of Tasmania’s Jacob’s Ladder in a Porsche Taycan 4 Cross Turismo.
A Taycan, positioned just forward of the screen, seamlessly integrated into the fascinating video showcase, its sensuous exterior surfaces giving participants a 3D-like experience. It appeared as if the Taycan had emerged towards them.
Guests enjoyed the chance to capture some quick memories of their six-minute journey in the photo space that followed, a blue-and-white LED room with all the visual power of the experience they had just enjoyed.
“The way Electrify Me sparks the senses and replicates the enjoyment of driving the Taycan also communicates Porsche’s soul and character,” said Daniel Schmollinger.
A Taycan, positioned just forward of the screen, seamlessly integrated into the fascinating video showcase, its sensuous exterior surfaces giving participants a 3D-like experience.
It was a similar experience for Mark Webber, who joined Daniel for the official opening of Electrify Me on Wednesday.
“Having enjoyed a lot of time driving the Taycan model range I can tell you Electrify Me cleverly captures the experience and feeling.”
From Thursday to Sunday, more than 9,000 visitors enjoyed Electrify Me.
“That was remarkable,” said one guest from Melbourne. “I felt uplifted the moment I walked in and it just intensified from there. And it was if the Taycan was the screen in the 4D Cinema.”
