Bringing Sand To The Desert: Our Custom ADCOLOR Slot Machine Goes To Vegas

There probably isn’t a single person on the planet who’d want to stay in Sin City for more than a few days. So naturally, a team of W+K’rs (Christena Pyle, Jamie Carreiro, Trevor Gilley, Jason Tighe, Rebecca Groff and a happy-to-smoke-indoors-Husani Oakley) spent all week at the Bellagio debuting a custom-built slot machine and an iOS/Android app for the 2012 ADCOLOR Awards + Industry Conference.

If you don’t know, ADCOLOR is a non-profit industry group dedicated to increasing diversity in advertising. Wieden+Kennedy has been involved with ADCOLOR for a number of years (Dan was even presented with the Catalyst award in 2011). The conference takes place in a different city each year. This year, about 500 people gathered in Las Vegas for the event, so we wanted to make sure to give them something fun, interactive, and Vegas-y to do.

To that end, Jamie + Catherine + Jason retrofitted an actual slot machine with a laptop, custom software, scrolling LED display, and a mini printer. Drop a coin, pull the lever, and you could win breakfast with one of the ADCOLOR honorees.

Not that we encourage gambling addictions, but the iOS/Android app also included a virtual slot machine, along with the usual conference stuff — a schedule of events, a list of attendees, and a map. It also had an Instagram-style photo booth, folks could create four-frame animated GIFs and have them instantly appear on everyone’s phones.

When we get the slot machine back, we’re planning on retrofitting it yet again, this time with the agency in mind – be afraid. Be very afraid.

Huge shoutouts and thanks to the ridiculously talented team that made this possible: Fab and Ida, Lee Felarca, Kate Bauer, Nakia, Stephanie Laemoa, Kap, Sean Jones, and Rebecca Groff.

Check out a winner’s reaction below:

ADCOLOR Slot Machine Winner from Trevor Gilley on Vimeo.

Stay up on our madness by following us on Twitter/Instagram @WKNYC.