Nighttime Exploration of Marseille with Google

In 2014, Media.Monks and 72andSunny Amsterdam collaborated to bring to life an unprecedented digital experience: a nocturnal exploration of Marseille through Google Street View. This project, inspired by Julie de Muer’s Sound Walks and leveraging Google Maps, had a dual purpose. It aimed to capture the enchanting essence of Marseille at night and showcase the evolving capabilities of Google’s technology and products. The venture was a bold blend of traditional documentary storytelling and cutting-edge technology.

As the lead experience designer, I joined forces with the creative and design teams to weave together this unique digital narrative.

Our primary challenge was to digitally encapsulate the vibrant night life of Marseille, making it accessible and engaging for a global audience. This led us to the bustling Cours Julien neighborhood, where we captured over two hundred high-definition photospheres. These visuals, combined with adaptive soundtracks from Media.Monks and elements from Julie’s Sound Walks, created an immersive visual and auditory online experience.

Additionally, we aimed to deepen the storytelling aspect. By integrating various Google products, such as YouTube and Knowledge Panels, we enriched the journey with captivating sounds, narratives, and facts about Marseille. This strategic fusion transformed each step of the digital exploration into a journey of discovery, resonating with the essence of the city.

The outcome, “Night Walk in Marseille,” emerged as a pioneering example of interactive exploration. It allowed users globally to experience the unique nocturnal charm of Marseille streets through their devices. The use of binaural sound technology and detailed photospheres created an immersive sensory journey. Furthermore, mobile users benefitted from personalized recommendations through the Google Places API, enhancing their exploration with location-based suggestions.

The project achieved remarkable success, garnering over forty million social impressions and eighty-eight million PR impressions. Its engaging nature was reflected in a low 15% bounce rate and high praise from notable platforms like The Verge, Mashable, and Buzzfeed. The traffic to the experience soared to seven digits within just a week, underlining the initiative’s overwhelming success and the power of innovative storytelling in digital media.