THE WONKA EXPERIENCE
THE WONKA EXPERIENCE
Step into a world of pure imagination at Yorkdale’s Wonka Experience, an all ages immersive adventure.
BRAND IDENTITY | THEMED DESIGN | EXPERIENTIAL MARKETING
Objective
The goal is to build excitement for Wonka through an immersive, multi-generational experience grounded in playful interaction and strategic research.
The Pitch
To promote the film Wonka, Yorkdale Shopping Centre in Toronto hosts a temporary, interactive exhibit immersing guests in Wonka’s Chocolate Factory with hands-on experiences like designing chocolate bars and trying fizzy drinks that make them float. The challenge was to create an engaging space before the film’s release while bridging different story iterations.
Targeting fans of the novel, past films, and Timothée Chalamet, the exhibit appeals to all ages across various generations. A research-driven marketing strategy that leverages various online platforms, helps reach a broader audience and maximize engagement.
Spatial Design
Yorkdale Shopping Centre is the proposed location for the Wonka exhibit due to its proven success hosting experiential activations like Friends and Avengers S.T.A.T.I.O.N., its high foot traffic, and the availability of a large, flexible space ideal for zoning.
Based on these insights, I developed a SketchUp floor plan with added interior walls to define key experiential zones and mapped out visitor flow to optimize the guest experience.
Visualizations
The collage-style site plan captures the exhibit's atmosphere while highlighting key features and themed rooms.
To illustrate the exhibit zones, I created two mockups. The chocolate lab zone lets guests make their own bars and watch them on an assembly line, set in a factory-like space with pipes and gears.
The factory zone recreates the film’s iconic setting, featuring a gummy bear tree, giant mushrooms, and floor graphics of the chocolate river and grass.
Physical Product
To showcase a product from the Chocolate Lab area, I created a 3D model of the Wonka chocolate bar using SketchUp. In this zone they can customize their own chocolate bar designs on a kiosk then watch it be made.
I 3D printed the design, created the chocolate wrapper in Illustrator and used Fantastic Folds to visualize the folded design. Next, I printed the wrapper, folded it, wrapped the chocolate bar in foil and took product photography.
Marketing Techniques
Guests can upload a selfie to a third-party site, where AI removes the background and adjusts lighting, allowing them to choose from six Wonka-themed backgrounds and share on social media.
Facebook will share key updates through videos, images, and interactive posts, aligning with Wonka releases. Chocolatier Amaury Guichon will create a life-size chocolate design, featured on his YouTube and Wonka’s social platforms.
Billboards and digital posters in the GTHA and Yorkdale Shopping Centre will promote the experience, targeting visitors within a 1.5-hour radius.
