MSHS/Pacific Power Group’s Workboat Show 2024 Interactive Experience

• Advertising
• Branding
• Digital marketing
• Exhibitions & events
• Graphic design
• Marketing strategy
• Packaging
• Web design & SEO

Challenge

MSHS Pacific Power Group, a leader in marine and industrial plant power and propulsion solutions based in Florida, USA, sought to create an engaging, interactive experience that showcased its wide range of capabilities at the International Workboat Show 2024. With a need to demonstrate its expertise across different maritime and land-based applications, MSHS Pacific wanted an exhibition stand that would capture attention and encourage exploration of its offerings – from power and propulsion systems to control systems and other engine auxiliary systems. The project required both a comprehensive interactive environment and an animated video, each with precise art direction and seamless visual cohesion.

The interactive element would need to feature a 3D port scene with a naval military vessel, commercial fishing vessel, motor yacht, industrial plant, and data center. Visitors could click on these elements to zoom in on each asset, revealing detailed cutaways of the client’s key products and solutions. Additionally, MSHS Pacific Power Group requested an animated video that displayed an expanded set of vessels – push boat, offshore vessel, crew boat, commercial vessel, motor yacht, ferry, and tug – showcased in realistic maritime settings with supporting messaging and unique selling points. Both the interactive and video elements needed to complement each other in style and branding, creating a cohesive experience. The timeline was ambitious: concept, design, production, testing, and deployment had to be completed within six weeks.

Solution

Oyster took a comprehensive approach to both the interactive environment and the animated video, with a strong focus on art direction to bring MSHS/Pacific’s offerings to life in a visually cohesive, engaging experience. The interactive HTML environment, which featured a 3D port scene, allowed visitors to explore key products by clicking on icons for each element. Each icon triggered an animation and cutaway that revealed the client’s solutions in detail, spotlighting their expertise in propulsion and power systems, turbine controls, automation, and diagnostics.

The art direction for the project was precise and involved careful pre-visualization. Oyster created detailed storyboards for every scene, ensuring consistency in style, branding, and visual flow across both the interactive environment and the animated video. Each frame was mapped out to guide the development process, including notes on motion paths for camera angles, lighting requirements, texturing, and scene transitions. We produced example animations to establish visual standards and technical benchmarks for the 3D animators, helping to streamline the process and achieve the desired level of realism and detail.

For the animated video, Oyster crafted scenes to showcase only MSHS PPG’s Workboat vessel types set against realistic ocean environments. Each vessel was portrayed with meticulous attention to lighting, textures, and camera motion, creating lifelike portrayals that resonated with the marine-focused audience. Camera angles were carefully designed to transition smoothly between vessels, allowing viewers to follow a seamless journey across MSHS PPG’s diverse capabilities.

Lighting played a crucial role in establishing a dynamic, cinematic feel; from the sun’s reflection on the water’s surface to subtle shadows cast on each vessel, these details enhanced realism and drew attention to key features. Texturing was also carefully controlled, with surfaces treated to reflect the materials used in real life, ensuring authenticity. The video, shown on an 85-inch screen at the show, provided a visually captivating anchor point for the stand, creating synergy with the booth design, and the interactive environment adapted for a large touchscreen.

Oyster managed the art direction, project management, and coordination of developers, 3D animators, and designers, all while adhering to the challenging six-week timeframe. This unified approach allowed us to execute MSHS PPG’s vision with precision and visual impact.