YouTube Brandcast, now bigger and bolder at Lincoln Center

The yearly YouTube event, which serves to showcase the platform’s extensive capabilities and unique creators, found a new home at David Geffen Hall in NYC and I had the pleasure of breaking in the event in its new space. Collaborating with Good Sense & Company and Google EE teams, we served up an incredibly vibrant, guest-focused experience that started from the moment they walked in. Together we created bold scenic moments, comfortable lounges and ensured all the details in front and back of house felt quintessentially YouTube.

Once the pre-show festivities wrapped, guests headed to the main auditorium to catch performances from Doja Cat, Jacob Collier, Airrack, Michelle Khare, Deestroying, Colin & Samir and many more. This joint collaboration between Good Sense & Company, De-Yan Design Studio and Google EE wove together musical performances, special giveaways, creator content and beautiful motion graphics to deliver a truly memorable evening.

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BRANDCAST 2023

• BRANDCAST 2023 •

Impactful Scenic

One of the most gratifying parts of my job is creating the seed of an idea and nurturing it into reality. Brandcast was particularly rewarding, as it pushed me to develop creative solutions that would be most impactful in such a large, stylized space, while still staying true to the event aesthetics, and negotiating production feasibility and shifting budget constraints. One such example were the gigantic chandeliers…

Concept sketches for chandeliers were inspired by sticker iconography from Brandcast’s visual ID.

Early progress shot of the steel framing, courtesy of Bednark Studios.

Each chandelier weighed roughly 5,000 lbs and was suspended using aircraft cording to existing trusses at DGH.

The quatrefoil silhouette reached 10ft x 10ft, creating a dramatic focal point for guests on the promenade and upper floors.

Each chandelier was constructed from welded steel pipes and color-coded chainette fringe.

Attention to Detail

The team did a fantastic job to ensure all aspects of the event were designed and produced with meticulous care. Everything from graphic details and placement, floral design, wardrobes for BAs, dressing room amenities for talent and a thousand other details all serving to create a polished, gestalt experience.

Along with designing and building a bespoke DJ booth, we also ensured the YouTube logo would be highly visible in any lighting (and correctly viewable, even in reflections!).

Lush, architectural greenery elevated the event aesthetic and softening the materiality of DGH.

Large-scale impact graphics reinforced YouTube messaging in high-traffic spaces.

Show giveaways, like these pizza cookie boxes for YouTube creator Airrack, were whimsically designed to enhance guest experience and support his best known video challenge.

The captivating lighting design for the event accentuated Brandcast’s colorful visual ID and highlighted architectural and scenic details.

The event sported 7 bars (2 exterior, 5 interior), with the longest spanning 147 feet across. We strategically color coordinated the chandeliers, graphics and lighting to create a seamless gradient from one side of the promenade to the other.

With 21,000 sq. ft. of public space and 2,200 attendees to corrale, the team architected and executed all event wayfinding and directional signage to help guests navigate the event with ease.

Digital Content Direction

The team utilized 20 screens across David Geffen Hall to showcase creators and get guests excited for the evening’s show. I quarterbacked this initiative, providing content direction to AD and animation resources, fielded new content requests and feedback from Google, and oversaw QA and testing with DGH programmers before event launch. The most prominment placement was the lobby’s 50 foot video wall, which ran a seamless creator loop during pre-show and telecasted the show to overflow guests.

In Memorandum

While there was a ton of love for this scenic photo moment from our clients and internal team, this idea didn’t make show day. The original request for a simple step and repeat quickly snowballed into a 3D concentric topography with a 3-person inlaid bench and LED backlighting, so guests and branding details can look their best.