One might ask what a Swedish beauty care company is doing at CES—Consumer Electronics Show—where one expects the gadgets of the future, but boy did Foreo raise eyebrows with the theatricality of their show, from the sound of chainsaws to gas fumes, and vials of pink liquid offered by scientists in white lab coats for visitors brave enough to imbibe. The booth caused quite the uproar with long lines to be part of The Foreo Experience in Las Vegas, January 7-12, 2018.
Designed by a team of theatrical designers, with scenery by John Iacovelli, lighting by Brian Gale, and sound by Cricket Myers, the booth was built by Sin City Scenic. Intended to be a research facility, with armed guards at the perimeter, guests were blindfolded, while some were wrapped in yellow sheets and plastic wrap. Quite a production to sell a 20-minute “smart” facial mask at a show that features next-generation innovations for consumers, from laptops to televisions: But there is no doubt that Foreo made their mark!
Live Design reached out to the creators and builders of the Foreo booth, to get their take on the project.
Sin City Scenic (Brian Rogerson and Susan Soscia):
Sin City Scenic, Inc. was approached in mid-December for a January 5, load-in of The Foreo Experience at CES 2018. We were immediately excited when we saw the design and wanted to be a part of this unique concept. We are not strangers to tight schedules, but with the two holidays closing in, we were most concerned with getting materials in time.
There were also budget constraints, so we began searching for creative ways to provide the designer John Iacovelli the textures he was looking for, with affordable IFR materials that we could get in time. We suggested Modular Truss because it would help us hide the interior and the plate construction provides a selection of mounting locations that allowed the large wall units to be installed quickly and securely. ModTruss supplied 350' of 12'' x 12'' trussing that was used to build the structure of the booth with an additional 100' of 6'' x 6''.
Fifteen walls were constructed to create four rooms, using a variety of materials including tube steel, chain link fencing, string reinforced poly sheeting, wire mesh, muslin, MDF, and debris netting. These walls were crammed into The Foreo Experience’s 20'x30' footprint to make it an intimate setting inside, and to keep anyone outside from being able to see what was happening in the "research facility."
The highlight of SCS's creative contribution to The Foreo Experience was the scenic treatment to the walls to adapt them to their intended atmosphere. The cold room at the entrance featured a shiny blue wall covering reminiscent of ice buildup in a walk-in freezer. The next room was a hot room with a pumice-like lava rock texture to make it feel as though the room was inside a volcano. In the main operating theatre, the mad scientist was the main attraction, so a large mesh drop pulled double duty, masking the lighting and audio gear in a non-distracting way, while also containing the atmospherics within the room.
Lastly, the decompression room was covered in padded walls, just in case the show was a bit too effective and a guest needed the comforting embrace of a straitjacket. It is always a pleasure to work with a creatively enthusiastic and flexible team of professionals, and Sin City Scenic is thrilled they were able to help with the release of such an exciting new product.
Read more about the set design and lighting design!