Tara Conlin

Client: Google

Role: Executive Producer

For this years CES, Media.Monks teamed up with Google to create an immersive, playable, unmissable space showcasing their latest attractions on Android. In a little over 6 months, we handled all of the concepting, strategy, creative, architecture, design, rendering, development and fabrication alongside our build partners Pink Sparrow and Sparks. This vibrant exhibition not only demonstrated the power of ‘Doing More with Google’ but also celebrates living life to the fullest.

Read more about it here!

An Immersive Experience Transporting Fans From San Diego to Gotham City

Client: AT&T

Role: Senior Experiential Producer

A heroic effort in making childhood dreams come true.

After AT&T completed its acquisition of Time Warner, a new dynamic duo emerged, transferring ownership of DC Comics and its lineup of iconic superhero IP to the world’s largest telecommunications company. And with Batman soon to be inducted into Comic-Con’s Character Hall of Fame on his 80th anniversary, we helped AT&T show up with the guest of honor in style.

Through a super-sized, 360-degree encounter, The Batman Experience celebrated Batman across the decades (and the media), giving fans the opportunity to look behind the brooding hero’s mask.

Letting imaginations soar like Batman.

The centerpiece of The Batman Experience was the Dark Knight Dive, combining the experience of free-falling with the creative possibilities of VR to produce a 4D experience that completely immersed fans in Gotham City. The experience put fans in pursuit of the Scarecrow, who had unleashed his fear toxin to take over the city. As they glided through Gotham in virtual reality, fans were literally blown away, with their bodies suspended in a wind tunnel to simulate the feeling of flying.

An immersive tour through Batman history.

There was even more to explore. Every fan dreams of exploring the Batcave, so we built one of our own in the form of a gaming lounge decked out in memorabilia through the ages. In the Rogue’s Gallery Rumble, fans could wallop their favorite villains, triggering sounds and light projections featuring classic illustrations with every hit—complete with “wham!” and “pow!” bubbles for onomatopoetic justice.

The 68,000 sq. ft. activation earned praise in the press: the New York Times called Batman and AT&T “a new dynamic duo,” while WIRED declared the experience, “utterly unprecedented.”

Client: DoorDash

Role: Senior Experiential Producer

For some disadvantaged communities, the game of life can feel rigged. To help even the playing field, we teamed up with DoorDash and Angel City Football Club, setting up a charity event for All Peoples Community Center in April 2022.

Located in the heart of Hollywood, our predominantly female team designed and painted over 30 m² of turf and populated it with free-to-use football challenges.

The more participants scored, the more we donated. Our efforts were a roaring success: with 88,000 meals donated, we made a meaningful difference and helped position DoorDash as a contributive community member.

Client: TripAdvisor & San Diego Tourism Authority

Role: Executive Producer

We teamed up with Tripadvisor and the San Diego Tourism Authority to help them spread San Diego's sunny vibes and engage travellers to include the city in their 2024 adventures.

From idealization to production in only eight weeks, we launched the activations in New York and Chicago, bringing the warmth and good vibes of the city.

The activations featured a vibrantly outfitted shipping container, custom-designed games inspired by San Diego hotspots, a 3D photo backdrop and capture pod, San Diego-inspired food and drinks, swag giveaways, and an AR experience that transported attendees to The Rady Shell and provided information about the city.

Client: Panasonic

Role: Executive Producer

Panasonic partnered with us to create a groundbreaking living lab—Panasonic WellHouse—that mirrors the interaction between humans and technology in daily life.

This innovative approach allowed Panasonic to move beyond traditional innovation methods, developing new products based on real-life consumer experiences.

From creative concept to physical build, we designed Panasonic WellHouse, a custom-built model home that served as the foundation for this immersive living lab experience.

The home was equipped with cutting-edge responsive systems, allowing Panasonic to seamlessly integrate its future-forward product innovations into everyday scenarios. The living lab also featured elements of theatre and entertainment, bringing immersive storytelling and interaction to life.

This transformative blueprint for product development and testing redefined connected living spaces and set a new standard for innovation with real consumer needs at its core.

Client: AT&T

Role: Senior Experiential Producer

Leading up to her performance at AT&T’s Super Saturday Night, we invited Lady Gaga’s “Little Monsters” to celebrate their individuality through four activations championing 5G’s ‘zero latency’.

First, we created a digital Monster Wall that used motion-sensing cameras to track participants’ dance moves and instantly transform them into SSN-inspired Monsters.

Next, a larger-than-life Monster Paw surrounded by ten cameras provided fans with a 150-degree 4K GIF in a snap.

Then we had Drawing on Kindness, which was the world’s first organic AR art Installation where guests painted a kinder world for all. After creating artwork that represented kindness, the art remained to be experienced by others in the digital environment.

Finally, our Monster Room filled with screens showcased curated content from the event as well as featured content to promote AT&T TV.

Client: Google

Role: Executive Producer

Google asked us to help demo their new Android Circle to Search feature in a big way at their 2024 Cannes Lions footprint.

We wanted to make this more than your average product demo. So to reach our creative-minded audience who were already in vacation mode, we turned their beloved Android character into a Cannesdroid influencer and invited festival-goers to join him on a Eurotrip.

Using larger-than-life touchscreens, Cannesdroid trained users on how Circle to Search worked through day-in-the-life-style content, then invited them to try for themselves.

We merged 3D animation and UI with real life South of France environments in a seamless experience that showed people how Circle to Search – and a good vacay – can make life a whole lot easier.

Virtualizing the hype-fueled sneaker drop

Client: Jordan Brand

Role: Senior Experiential Producer

Gaining the home-court advantage.

A cultural icon beloved by sports fans, sneakerheads and A-listers alike, there’s no shoe that brings people together quite like the Air Jordan—and when it’s time for a new sneaker drop, city centers are usually packed with hundreds of fans waiting at storefronts in lines wrapping around the block.

With the launch of the Air Jordan XXXV, we partnered with Jordan Brand to recapture hype and settle the score on impactful online experiences for audiences at home with a private unveiling that could only be made possible digitally.

Fueling hype among loyal fans.

An initial VIP briefing session with key media hosted by the Jordan Brand team kicked off the two-part experience. After getting a peek behind the curtain of the new shoe, attendees were given access to a custom electronic press kit that included bespoke illustrations and GIFs of each invited media personality, as well as athlete animations, exclusive content on the shoe’s design and much more.

As the embargo lifted and it came time for the big unveiling, Nike loyalty program members and employees were invited to tune in to a livestream event featuring star-studded commentary from Jordan Brand President Craig Williams, Lead Designer Tate Kuerbis, Host Ari Chambers and Jordan Brand athletes, who gave unparalleled behind-the-scenes access to sneakerheads everywhere.

Walk a mile in these shoes.

The launch came to life through a wide range of content that altogether made the unveil more tangible for audiences at home. The centerpiece of the experience was a 3D preview of the new sneaker, giving fans an up-close look into its bold design. With the snap of a QR code, viewers could get an even-more-hands-on look at the release using augmented reality.

Client: Google

Role: Executive Producer

Google approached us with a challenge: to strategize and produce  their in-person Google Marketing Live event, where they would showcase their latest Ads innovations.

From their headquarters in Mountain View, CA, we created an immersive, all-day event that offered a welcoming and interactive experience where attendees were invited to explore creative and tech panels throughout the day.

From the initial invitation stage, we carefully curated a custom experience to accommodate hundreds of attendees. The event space was designed to seamlessly integrate with and enhance Google's brand, both in spirit and aesthetics.

Client: Makers Mark

Role: Executive Producer

For the upcoming holiday, we took over Star Hill Farm in Kentucky and converted it into Maker’s Ambassador Supply, a holiday party and market experience for Maker’s Mark’s biggest fans (their ambassadors).

The ambassadors enjoyed a full program of exclusive activities across the distillery. Each area offered a unique experience – from tasting bourbons from the Maker’s Mark vault, to voting on an exclusive flavor for a limited edition bottle, to shopping for gifts that are as handmade as Maker’s Mark whisky itself.

We custom built five bespoke vendor booths, a DJ booth, two speakeasies, and a Christmas Tree made from recycled Maker’s Mark bottles to bring the magic of the holidays to life.

Fans traveled from hours away to experience Maker’s Ambassador Supply, and the event served as an incredible thank you for their loyalty and support throughout the years.

Client: Samsung

Agency: Wieden+Kennedy

Role: Senior Experiential Producer

Joining forces with Wieden+Kennedy, Moment Factory and The Resource Factory, we created Samsung Dreamground—a first-of-its-kind XR experience that transforms the physical world into a fantastical AR wonderland where users can create, explore and play. T

o build Dreamground, we developed a standalone app and used real-time development and rigorous 3D production to bring it to life. Transcending the everyday AR experience, we filled Dreamground with fantasy-like landscapes, winsome world building elements and giant interactive sculptures.

With its location-based functionality, the experience dynamically adapts to where people are and what they see through their lens. Those wishing to explore Dreamground outside of SoFi can visit Samsung’s flagship store in NYC or try the general AR experience at home.

Client: DoorDash

Role: Senior Experiential Producer

We helped DoorDash recruit students across the US by building the funnest thing imaginable: an inflatable food-themed obstacle course.

Produced together with Bigger Than Life, we designed the DashCourse to imitate a delivery run—albeit a bit more bouncy. Made up of a pizza slide, hot dog hurdles and stepping-stone hamburgers, the course challenged students to carry a delivery bag through its obstacles as fast as possible.

Ensuring the good word about working for DoorDash bounced its way across the web, we created a social campaign using footage from the events that highlighted the many benefits of becoming a Dasher.

Client: Canon

Role: Senior Experiential Producer

For CES 2021—the leading trade for consumer electronics—we worked with Canon to craft an online experience to showcase their latest technology.

Redefine The Limits invited people to explore the world from the safety of their own home. Narrated by renowned experts, the interactive website presented a five-part journey with visitors as the protagonist.

With experiences like capturing Earth from space to a Yellowstone expedition, people discovered how they can collaborate using Canon products to push their creative boundaries. We directed and produced all content from scratch—from the CG globe to the live-action footage shot around the world.

Client: adidas

Agency: Öpinionated

Role: Senior Experiential Producer

To mark the release of adidas’ nostalgically 90s Yung series, we went old school with a radically retro campaign. Housed on a vibrant website with GIFs and WordArt galore, we designed, developed and animated a whole host of interactive executions. The homage to fan pages past features a music rhythm game, rad wallpapers and glitchy product videos.

Extending the campaign offline, we posted custom-packaged pagers to influencers, and even transformed two Yung 96 sneakers into miniature arcade games for an in-store activation. Combining hi-tech with lo-fi, the integrated campaign is an eccentric throwback promoting the Yungs to earn their stripes.

Client: Google

Role: Senior Experiential Producer

We were invited to star on the biggest creative canvas of the last 20 years: Google’s homepage.

To celebrate its 20th birthday, Google tasked us with making their special anniversary doodle. We designed, illustrated, and animated 20 original scenes based on 20 original searches for each year—bringing questions and queries from around the world together into a single doodle.

From traditional and 3D animation to stop-motion scenes using clay and papercraft, we threw our entire arsenal of styles at the doodle. The result? A one-in-a-million doodle seen by billions. Feeling Lucky with this one.

Client: AT&T

Role: Senior Experiential Producer

Partnering with AT&T, we brought two awe-inspiring activations to Essence Festival in New Orleans. Inspired by Baobab—Africa's tree of life—we created the LED-covered Tree of Dreams.

Visitors could share joyful messages onto the tree, populating it with a glowing reflection of community and highlighting the connectedness of AT&T Fiber.

We also produced an NFT minting experience: the Dream in Black NFT video booth. NOLA local, Jade The Artist, designed a custom NFT and the video booth backdrop for festival-goers to pose in front of. Afterwards, they received a printed snapshot, a shareable GIF and the chance to mint the NFT.

Client: DoorDash

Role: Senior Experiential Producer

For Tribeca Film Festival 2021 we partnered with DoorDash, the food delivery service, to prepare a surprising twist on the theater experience.

Creating a mashup of the classic NYC deli ticket counter and a movie concession stand with a whimsical, pastel-toned Wes Anderson style—the pop-up experience invited movie-goers to take a ticket and act out famous movie lines written on it.

To set (and share) the scene, festival-goers could pose with various props and backdrops. The abundance of shareable content resulted in 150K cumulative impressions on Facebook and Instagram, countless cinematic memories—and landed the DoorDash brand in the limelight.

Client: DoorDash

Role: Senior Producer

To celebrate that DoorDash now delivers alcohol, we built a fully stocked pop up bar that fit inside of one of their iconic delivery bags and invited New York City to join us for a drink.

We served over 500 custom crafted cocktails, turning the Open Bar into New York City’s hottest new watering hole. It was loved so much by both customers and client that we’re taking the Open bar on the open road, popping up in various cities in the US.

Client: Google

Visit the Site

Role: Senior Experiential Producer

Your Plan, Your Planet is a platform that shows how we can extend the life cycle of products, as well as reduce food, water, and energy waste — instilling circular-economy values in generations to come.

Using facts and insights from the California Academy of Sciences and the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, we curated and illustrated an overview of easy lifestyle adjustments.

Drawing users in with charming animations and compelling interactions, we gamified beneficial actions like changing light bulbs, taking shorter showers, and reusing products.

Big change can come from small actions. Together with Google and 72andSunny, we were able to make those actions add up.

Client: eBay

Role: Senior Experiential Producer

Shining a light on eBay as a luxury shopping destination, we helped the E-commerce OG pop-up under the megawatt star power of the Oscars.

We custom-fabricated a premium booth to display high-end watches and handbags. Elegantly molded (and accessorized) golden hands and adjustable lighting drew in visitors to view their own decorated wrists displayed via an accessories camera. In addition to driving awareness of eBay’s luxury offering, the booth served as a touchpoint for building celebrity relationships. Those in attendance were gifted—and given the opportunity to donate the goods to raise funds for charity. Elevation achieved.

Client: Johnson & Johnson

Role: Senior Experiential Producer

We built an interactive mirror palace complete with generative lighting and visuals for capturing the ultimate selfie. The Hydro Boost Pod is part of a skincare trial experience offered by Neutrogena at Amazon Hub Locker locations.

Visitors first receive free skincare advice from a beautician before stepping into the pod for a facial scan and selfie. Based on their facial scan, the installation generates a unique composition of colours and visuals to make the selfie itself look as amazing as the skin. The print-out picture serves as a memory and doubles as a discount coupon for their recommended skincare products.

Client: Amazon

Role: Senior Experiential Producer

We worked with Amazon Hub to create modular installations across 15 university campuses to showcase Aveeno products during the holidays. Managing design, logistics, production, and staffing, we stepped up to the challenge of simultaneous activations, building sharable living walls highlighting Aveeno's natural ingredients, and an in-store guessing game using Amazon Lockers.

The overarching installation layout was planned for customization, so it could fit in a myriad of physical footprints. Amplified by an influencer campaign, the activations garnered 1.9M impressions on social media, and the Aveeno products we featured experienced a 124% increase in visits on Amazon.

Client: Webby Awards

Role: Senior Experiential Producer

The annual Webby Awards celebrate internet excellence. For their all-digital 25th edition we crafted a virtual platform for a seamless online viewing experience, with customization unmatched by any in-person ceremony.

Guided by a host, as in a typical ceremony, audiences could cherry-pick the most appealing segments or stream the show in full. For the Webbys, the ability to sequence the show right until going live gifted newfound flexibility.

In time-honoured fashion, speakers from Ava DuVernay to Anthony Fauci and Trevor Noah kept it concise with memorable 5-word speeches. Our own verdict-in-five? Internet excellence, smoothly honoured—online.

Client: J.P. Morgan

Role: Executive Producer

ShopTalk, an annual retail event in Las Vegas, is the hub for retailers, investors and tech innovators looking to redefine consumer interactions through cutting-edge technologies.

To introduce J.P. Morgan Payments’ Commerce Solutions and the second edition of an exclusive print collab with WIRED Magazine dubbed Payments Unbound, we gave something analog a digital twist.

With the help of an art.monks illustrator, we created a digital canvas and invited conference-goers to share ideas on the future of marketplaces, metaverse transactions and other unthinkable ways to pay. Submissions were illustrated over (3) days, in real-time, attracting new leads along the way.

The mix of education and creativity not only showed what’s possible within the future of retail, it positioned the brand in a fresh light.

Client: Hulu

Agency: Big Family Table

Role: Senior Experiential Producer

Introducing the greatest watching-football video game ever: Hulu Has Live Sports 20. In the game, players have to help NY Giant Saquon Barkley watch live sports by chasing his runaway TV while catching dough, nachos, and more.

We had the freedom to include references to various retro games by creating both the game mechanics and all game art. Chock-full of Easter eggs like Barkley’s high school jersey and a Hulu-branded jetski. Barkley himself is a fan, instantly retweeting the game to 300k+ followers, all laddering up to Hulu’s greater live sports campaign.

Verizon Ultra Throne Experience

Role: Senior Experiential Producer

To celebrate the premier of the re-imagined Fresh Prince, Verizon, Westbrook, Peacock and .Monks created the 5G Ultra-Throne Experience.

Users stepped inside the world of Bel-Air to take a seat in one of three character inspired throne rooms. The experience debuted at a once in a lifetime, star-studded launch event on location in a Mansion in Bel-Air, CA.

For fans not in attendance we premiered a snap lens allowing users to try on the titular crown. Bel-Air went on to deliver the BIGGEST Peacock original series premiere of all-time. Meanwhile the snap lens reached more than 32 million.

Client: Pottermore

Role: Senior Digital Producer

In order to celebrate back-to-school day at Hogwarts, we partnered with Pottermore to launch an interactive 3D experience where users can fly around and explore Hogwarts, Quidditch Pitch and Forbidden Forest.

Along the way users will see hotspots, which are clickable points that provide more in depth information about that specific location. 

Client: Spotify

Role: Senior Digital Producer

We partnered with Spotify allowing millions of music fans to access their personal listening habits, reliving 2017 through the lens of the music they loved - all the while making goals for the year ahead. Because in a year many wanted to tune out, music gave us all a reason to keep listening.

Client: Spotify 

Role: Senior Digital Producer

In anticipation of 21 Savage's forthcoming album Issa Album, we partnered up with Spotify to launch a website that helps you identify objects using the Google Cloud Vision API.

Dubbed “Issa Website,” upload any photo or take a picture with your webcam or phone camera and a bot with 21′s voice will try to help you identify whatever you uploaded or took a picture of. If he is unable to identify what you’re trying to input, he’ll give you answers like “issa error” or “issa I got no f*cking clue.” 

Client: Toyota

Agency: Saatchi & Saatchi LA

Role: Integrated Producer

The Mirai is Toyota’s car of the future, so to target tech and science enthusiasts, Saatchi LA and Tool teamed up to create thousands of targeted ads to run on Facebook. The catch? The campaign was written by IBM’s supercomputer, Watson. 

First, Saatchi LA wrote 50 scripts based on location, behavioral insights and occupation data that explained the car’s features to set up a structure for the campaign. The scripts were then used to train Watson so it could whip up thousands of pieces of copy that sounded like they were written by humans.

The AI then scraped the internet, including sites like YouTube and Wikipedia, to create a neural network of words and phrases about what it means to be a scientist and put the thoughts together into sentences.

Getting the AI to string together a proper sentence was a challenge at first and after a few attempts, we allowed the brain to take all of the words within the neural net and apply them to things like nouns, adjectives, pronouns, phrases, etc. 

The final version of creative included lines like, “Yes, it’s Mother Nature approved,” “Yes, this car is an ode to tech” and “Yes, the future is available now.” Other phrases in the campaign include, “Yes, it’s a better future for insects,” “Yes, it will turn heads on the moon” and “Yes, it drives like a planet.”

Client: Chevy

Agency: Commonwealth//McCann

Role: Integrated Producer

The traditional car brochure in the dealership is classic yet has become stale. Commonwealth // McCann and Tool partnered together to give it a tech facelift. By using computer vision and AI recognition we were able to create a mobile experience that is activated by a simple scan of the brochure at a local Chevy dealership. The scan leads to supporting video content to better explain car features and ultimately to product sales at the point of purchase. We also designed and animated all of the supporting video content.

Client: Infiniti / OMD

Agency: CP+B

Role: Integrated Producer

At the 2016 Infiniti Pavilion for the Concours De Elegance, guests participated in a unique emotion driven interactive experience. As they walked around and engaged with vehicles like the all-new 2017 Q60, the first-ever QX30, and the Q80 Inspiration Concept, they were given a wearable armband device that connected to various sensors, located on the cars and throughout the event space, that measured what they were doing and how they felt.

The armband's sensors were able to track individual biometrics like EMG (muscle cell electrical activity) and detect specific gestures and bodily movements. It also connected to sensors mounted on each car to infer enthusiasm due to time spent in proximity of a specific vehicle. Additionally, cameras mounted throughout the Pavilion detected facial expressions and determined overall room sentiment, while proximity microphones measured changes in conversation levels around each car. Finally, the Q60 featured a heartbeat sensor on the steering wheel to determine how a driver felt behind the wheel of the powerful, all-new Q60.

With real-time responsiveness, all of the different data sources were pulled into a custom-designed algorithm that turned both individual emotions and collective measurements into the moving, living digital artwork displayed on the LED screens, so that guests could see their emotions transformed into art. It was up to guests how long they chose to contribute their emotions for, and when they ended their experience, the data from their armband was scanned to receive a one-of-a-kind poster of the artwork generated from their emotions. Ultimately, all of these posters of the emotions of guests will be compiled into a beautiful art book for Infiniti.

Client: Toyota

Agency: Saatchi & Saatchi LA

Role: Integrated Producer

Saatchi LA and Tool teamed up to create activities that do not currently exist using AI and a machine created around the RAV.

This RAVtivity machine was built and filmed with the vision of Director Steve Mapp, and the content was derived using a series of AI tools and Artist Sabri Sansoy.

Using a series of prop shots, inserts, and graphical overlays, we were able to create 300 versions of the content. These versions will be served to relevant users on Facebook, Instagram, and Snapchat using associated interests.

This campaign was truly integrated in all facets. The AI system used image recognition to learn about every existing activity in the world (750+) to then create opposites based on properties across the images. These opposites were put together to form new, AI generated, activities. 

Client: Domino's

Agency: CP+B

Role: Integrated Producer

To introduce the first ever pizza delivery vehicle built by Domino's, Tool created a side-scrolling browser experience set in an illustrated environment to talk through its features.

The site utilizes a 3D model of the car and highlights the customized features of the vehicle throughout the journey, including the warming oven, the customized storage, the car details and the puddle light. 

Client: T-Mobile

Agency: Droga5

Role: Integrated Producer

T-Mobile, Droga5 and Tool teamed up to put a bullshit detector in everybody’s hands via a smartphone. Using AI and computer vision this mobile AR experience can scan anything around you and evaluate the “bullshit.” 

Client: Sonos | Apple Music

MusicMakesItHome.com

Role: Integrated Producer

Families today are retreating to opposite corners of the home for entertainment. The result: they’re not experiencing and enjoying music together. And even artists aren’t immune. To break that silence, SONOS and Apple Music collaborated with Killer Mike, St. Vincent, Matt Berninger and dozens of families from across the globe to show how music connects families to the most important thing of all: each other.

Client: Etsy

Role: Integrated Producer

Etsy was looking to recruit senior-level software engineers to their new office in San Francisco, while positioning themselves as a different kind of tech company. This was more than a recruitment campaign. It was also a branding campaign. We let engineers know Etsy is hiring, while making it clear to consumers that Etsy is where they'll find the most innovative online shopping experience.

Engineers and artists don’t exactly mingle at the same parties. But at Etsy, these worlds collide with beautiful results. At Etsy, there is no delineation between code and craft. To prove it, we used the vernacular of software engineering to showcase real Etsy goods, telling the "Code as Craft" story through the lens of Etsy’s seller community.