Sunflower case study: Phrasee at the Festival of Marketing

Artificial intelligence firm Phrasee were showcasing at the Festival of Marketing at Tobacco Dock, a two-day event where brand marketers can “discover, learn, celebrate and shape the future together”. It’s an innovative, forward-thinking, global event, so when Phrasee decided they were going to exhibit, they knew they had to present a show-stopping experience for visitors.

Disruptors in AI-powered copywriting, Phrasee optimises marketing copy for some of the world’s most recognised brands, including eBay, Groupon, and Virgin, and they wanted to capture and share those awesome accomplishments in their space at the Festival.

The team were looking for a visually impressive way of telling the story of how Phrasee had evolved, and their innovative creation. Initially planning an experience that looked ‘into the Phrasee brain’ using VR headsets, they quickly realised that it just wouldn’t fill their space successfully.

Phrasee CEO Parry Malm decided to bring Sunflower Event Team on board after we had successfully event-managed their fourth birthday party and also facilitated a team building event for their recent office move (a treasure hunt which helped them get to know their new local area). The brief for the Festival of Marketing evolved rapidly (over an impossibly tight timespan) from the VR headset experience: when Parry came up with an idea of a ‘Museum of Phrasee’, displaying artefacts and highlighting milestones from the company’s lifetime, we knew we had something special to work with.

A leopard print suit (Parry’s signature look), an image of Patrick Swayze (a clue to how the company’s name came about), a Domino’s pizza box and a certain brown smiley emoji clock were among the artefacts chosen to illustrate the lifespan and evolution of the company. The challenge was then to create a ‘story’ around them that spoke to guests and clients at the event.

Nicola realised that using Parry’s voice as an audio tour guide was the key to making the museum come to life. Visitors took a journey through the exhibition space – The ‘Phraseeum’ – viewing the artefacts displayed on glass plinths, using headphones and an iPod touch to digitally tell the story of each display. The journey ended at a nitro coffee bar where visitors could relax, meet the sales team and enjoy a hot drink. A giant iPad showed feedback and sales presentations.

Sunflower helped to create the bespoke look and feel of the whole space, from the museum zone, where each artefact was spotlit with a giant Edison bulb, to the industrial, stripped-back café and chill-out zone. Working with around 20 suppliers (and handling negotiations with the venue’s preferred suppliers) was a challenge – as was handing over the project once set-up had been completed – but it was a very exciting event to work on.

“From the moment that Sunflower Event Team came on board for this event, it was a huge relief for me and the team. We were struggling to find time to bring our ideas to life, juggling the live event in addition to our day jobs, running a busy agency

Nicola understood our vision for a ‘Museum of Phrasee’ immediately and translated my ideas into an awesome experiential room for our space at the Festival of Marketing.

From technical drawings and storyboards to site visits and set up, the team at Sunflower rose to the challenge of turning my ideas and assorted artefacts into a cohesive and exciting exhibition. Their suggestions always took our presence at the Festival of Marketing to the next level, bringing The Phraseeum to life and creating an amazing experience for our guests.

The museum, presentation area and café had many ‘moving parts’ and multiple suppliers that needed co-ordinating. With Sunflower taking this off our hands and dealing with everything ‘behind the scenes’, we were free to plan our presentations, meet and greet guests, and enjoy the Festival.”

“Sunflower Event Team supported us brilliantly throughout the journey of creating our Phraseeum. I can honestly say that I wish they’d been with us from the very beginning, and throughout the exhibition too. The added value they provided was tremendous and I’d recommend the Sunflower team to anyone looking for awesome event support – in fact, we’ve already tapped into their event management skills since the Festival, for our Facebook product launch.”