The most valuable metric in marketing isn't impressions, it's the 'group gasp'

"I'll never forget the first time I saw the power of a group gasp. Years ago, at a Baltimore Ravens game, a film I'd helped create played across the stadium's newly installed LED screens. In the climactic moment (a close-up shot as the kicker's foot struck the ball) the entire crowd seemed to freeze, breath held, before erupting in a wave of energy that swept the stands. That's because the shot was perfectly timed with the real kick-off that started the game."

"In the late 1990s, with the internet booming and new competitors emerging thick and fast, we worked with IBM to use custom technology (think infrared sensor projections, interactive exhibits, and flexible architecture) to shift brand perception from staid to innovative. It wasn't about showing off gadgets; it was about shifting from a one-way monologue to the customer to a democratic conversation with them, entirely reimagining the relationship between people and brand."

An orchestrated visual moment at a Baltimore Ravens game produced a "group gasp" by synchronizing a filmed close-up with the real kick-off, creating collective, visceral awe. Designing experiences where story, environment, and audience collide can spark such shared emotional responses. Group gasps are a sought-after outcome for modern brands seeking deeper connection in a fragmented attention economy. Immersive brand work dates to the late 1990s when IBM projects used sensors, interactive exhibits, and flexible architecture to shift perceptions and transform one-way messaging into democratic conversation. Contemporary venues like Sphere and the Oculus blend architecture, storytelling, and technology to create collective awe.

Read at Fast Company