BART and Ronin design virtual exhibition New Horizons to launch Vredestein car tyres

Dezeen promotion: Dutch design agencies BART and Ronin have created a digital exhibition for tyre company Vredestein to launch its winter tyre and bring the new visual identity "refined by design" to life.

BART and Ronin designed online exhibition New Horizons for Vredestein to launch its new products. The duo were enlisted by the company after its presentations at Geneva International Motor Show and The Tire in Cologne were canceled this year due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

BART founder Bart Veen said it could also provide a model for events after the health crisis.

"We felt the need to develop an online experience that could serve as a blueprint for any future product launches during this Covid-19 crisis," he said. "We knew we wanted to translate the flow of a live event into an online experience."

"The cross-pollination between the digital world and the real world will certainly play a role in our future events," Veen added.

The showcase comprises interactive 3D renders of new car tyres and graphic animations.

Apollo Vredestein's president of European operations Benoit Rivallant and Dutch designer Daan Roosegaarde also feature in video messages, where they discuss how people and industries can deal with the pandemic, and how design thinking can help give some perspective.

BART and Ronin took inspiration from the V&A Dundee, which was completed by Japanese architect Kengo Kuma in 2018, when designing the New Horizons' fictitious museum galleries.

Upon entering the virtual space, visitors are met with a short animation of rolling Vredestein tyres and text that describes company history and its new visual identity "refined by design".

Developed by creative agency Jones Knowles Ritchie, the redesign features shades of red and blue and a bold and a modernised wordmark reminiscent of historic tyre advertisements.

"Inspired by the glory days of tyre advertising, we put a contemporary spin on Vrederstein's distinctive heritage, shredding category norms and building a uniquely ownable identity," said JKR creative director Ivan Mato.

"We look forward for the brand to re-establish itself at the top of its game, honouring the past and championing the future."

A voiceover welcomes guests and guides them through the exhibition. It stops in the Vredestein Hall of Fame to view the latest products, including the Quatrac Pro for all-season weather and the Wintrac Pro, a tyre built for wintry conditions. Users can click on the tyre to rotate it and view it from all angles.

Videos of the guest speakers are staged on digitally rendered screens presented on the walls and display boards within the gallery space.

The speakers, Benoit Rivallant, automotive journalist Amanda Stretton and designer Daan Roosegaarde are shown driving cars with Vredestein tyres, giving different perspectives on New Horizons.

For the exhibition's finale – the launch of the new winter tyre – the designers partnered with V&A Dundee to cast a colourful light show across the architect's 3D visualisation of the building. A Vredestein Wintrac tyre rolls around the digital model to showcase its ability.

The visuals and sounds of the lifelike experience were created using Unreal Engine, a 3D visualisation software.

New Horizons is free of charge and can be viewed online until 15 July 2020.

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