When the large German energy supplier EnBW (Energie Baden-Württemberg) entered the realm of virtual worlds, the decided to "do it for real".
After the initial test with a viral branding compaign, they launched on an area of some 180,000 virtual square meters with the EnBW EnergyPark and the EnBW Innovation Center in Second Life - timed with the opening of Hannover Fair 2007.
Present the EnBW brand within Second Life and reach potential customers and opinion leaders with an involving experience that utilizes the distinctive strengths of a virtual world. Deliver an exciting experience to visitors interested in and wanting to learn more about modern energy industry - including basic information but also important form of regenerative energy sources like wind, water and geothermic energy.
The Otherland team, working together with the client and their partners from Germany's leading web agency PixelPark, provided consulting services, developed the master concept for the EnergyPark, the OrientationArea (see beow), contributed to the integral 'InnovationCenter' (a large exposition modelled after EnBW's installation at the Hannover Fair) and were responsible for overall creative direction.
An important part of this project is the branded "Orientation Area", a learning parcours for new users of Second Life. This became necessary because the EnBW enabled their own customers to register for Second Life on their own website with their own branded registration portal - actually the first such portal, which was done for German users of this virtual world.
The EnergyPark is still an ongoing project. Regular presentations, special events and a monthly EnergyQuiz keeps people coming back again and again.
More information about the installation can be found on the EnBW website (only in German). And a short video about the project is available on YouTube.
DISCLAIMER: The project "EnBW EnergyPark" was done, while the participating members of The Otherland Group were still with their former employers, Pixelpark AG resp. Elephant Seven AG.
