To create a dynamic presence for Pepsico at SXSW, Weber Shandwick, NYC and Maya brought together a team of technology experts that included Iontank & Rhiza. For our part, Iontank designed and integrated the hardware components for the two primary futuristic installations and developed the software systems.

The Zeitgeist phone booth (affectionately known as the Bit Booth) packs 6 transparent displays, 12 standard displays and custom touch screens into a very tight aluminum framework. When a user steps inside the booth and closes the door, an antique payphone rings and guides them through a series of prompts and questions. Feedback is collected via the telephone’s rotary dial as well as the inward-facing touch screens. The Zeitgeist phone booth helped collect data from the SXSW visitors that was aggregated for visualizations on the large format Z-Wall display system.

The Z-Wall was created for SXSW and the platform remains an active part of Iontank’s rental inventory. Made of steel, aluminum, glass, and many, many pixels, the Z-Wall is a customizable display system capable of conveying an enormous amount of dynamic information in mesmerizing fashion. The twelve HD LED monitors come to life in a simulated train station split-flap display, flipping between different curated content in a constantly updating animation. The Z-Wall is topped with a computer controlled row of electromagnetic flip-dots, capable of displaying animated headlines. It’s a wonderful way to breathe analog life into digital content, and the sound of all 1500+ dots changing at the same time is arresting.