UNIT9’s Vision of Futuristic Connectivity

How does change occur? Ideally, there is an understanding of what can be achieved by informing powerful entities about the positive effects for both themselves and society. UNIT9 is the global production studio which has established itself as a proponent and leader of new technology that delivers an unparalleled experience. This company is literally changing the way in which human emotions are elicited by tech. As an executive producer at UNIT9’s Los Angeles branch, Giacomo Vigliar has been key in the direction of the way that this company is formulating new approaches for art, education, sports, and a host of other arenas. Giacomo points out UNIT9’s work with such diverse clients as Twitter, Nike, Hulu, and The Metropolitan Art Museum of New York City to illuminate the vast applications of what UNIT9 does. The mind expanding ascension of mankind is at a new genesis and UNIT9 is at the forefront of this movement. 

  The partnership of cutting edge technology and human emotions is not an intuitive one. UNIT9 understands that this combination is one of the most powerful relationships when fashioned with creativity and skill. Convincing major brands of the strength offered by connecting with the public through unique experiences is something UNIT9 continually excels at and proves. Mr. Vigliar remarks, “Emerging tech can be intimidating for brands, and many don’t associate the emotional connection that they seek in their traditional campaigns with such cutting edge technology. At UNIT9, we really try to bridge this gap and show the opportunity that technologies such as AR or AI can bring to our creative output.” In fact, many examples of UNIT9’s work refute the idea of using emerging tech as a stunt or means of seeking superficial attention. What they are creating are pathways for individuals to connect with new experiences that would have been previously impossible. These have proven to resonate profoundly and communicate the value of the user as well as the creator. 

  UNIT9’s partnership with the Ad Council to create She Can STEM, a digital game which leveraged the experience of Minecraft to encourage STEM among girls, showed an ability to promote diversity head on. Internationally popular with a retention rate of one-hundred percent, She Can STEM provided insight to the opportunities that AR and the metaverse offer in approaching diversity and inclusion though a digital space. Fellini Forward illustrates the nearly limitless contributions which can be made to the arts. For this production, UNIT9 used AI to bring the creative genius of Federico Fellini back to life in an innovative short film. Giacomo describes, “First we analyzed and extracted data from past Fellini transcripts to understand the Italian director’s creative style, before developing bespoke AI script writing and pre-visualization tools that combined these learnings to suggest dialogue, characters, shot type, camera movement, and other creative additions to this new film. This seamless collaboration between human creative minds and artificial intelligence showcases how the emotional and the data-driven can come together to create a brand-new piece of art, sparking an interesting debate on the role of AI in the future of cinema.” In a manifestation of synesthesia, UNIT9 leveraged technology for the launch of the Huawei Mate 20 Pro phone (an AI-centric device) to create an emotionally-driven visual and sonic narrative. With the help of a professional Aurora chaser, the team at UNIT9 trained the AI to classify auroras and built an app that analyses each one, generating corresponding music phases. A composer and live orchestra were utilized to bring this soundtrack to life. Through a livestream, viewers could experience this performance and grasp the power of technology’s future potential. This endeavor highlighted human creativity, environmental wonder, and power of Huawei’s mobile prowess. These examples as well as many others testify to the multilateral benevolence of UNIT9’s direction in this burgeoning approach to the marketplace. 

  The future is personalization rather than the “large tent” approach of the past in reaching brand awareness and loyalty. While this certainly appeals to our individual desires, it also doesn’t rebuke the interconnectivity we share as citizens of planet Earth. Giacomo adamantly agrees stating, “We can leverage these technologies to create less physical waste. Packaging is a big factor. 64% of consumers want brands to reduce packaging waste and AR offers a way to replace printed information with augmented elements. The pandemic put an even bigger pressure on sustainability and brands need to rethink their value chain. Recently, we worked with Nike to design one-of-a-kind shipping boxes featuring enigmatic AR markers. When people scanned the AR marker with their phones, an animated 3D AR experience popped up on top of the box and told the story of Nike’s commitment to sustainability. They would also be directed to a ‘Move to Zero’ microsite to learn more about the initiative.” According to UNIT9, it would appear that you can truly have it all, including a conscience.

Writer: Coleman Haan