Wieden and Kennedy Amsterdam's Virtual Xmas

The Virtual Holiday Dinner is back for 2011, allowing friends and family from afar to gather together for a Christmas dinner, a virtual dinner, screen-to-screen. This year Wieden+Kennedy Amsterdam are bringing something additional to the table. Participants will be able to partake in a short, themed, holiday dinner play of their choice, with speaking cues presented across individual screens.
 

As a client, you may be interested in playing out Business as Usual, whereas your friends might enjoy The Overly Friendly Christmas Dinner. Or you might just want to get your goals for 2012 out in the open with Resolutions. After each gathering, Wieden+Kennedy will provide participants with a short video of their Virtual Holiday Dinner performance.
 

Using Skype each guest will call into the dinner, taking over 1 of 5 robot dolls sitting around the dinner table at Wieden+Kennedy Amsterdam. Video cameras are strapped to the dolls, fitted with special facial tracking software, which will enable diners to move their doll by simply moving their heads from side to side, making the dinner as realistic as virtually possible.
 

Virtual Holiday Dinner 2011 opened to the public on Friday, December 16 and Monday, December 19. You can now book a table for 5 at www.virtualholidaydinner.com/
 
30-minute time slots are available 10:00AM – 10:00PM Amsterdam Time (Central European Time).

Coming from an office of mostly expats, 125 people from 19 different nationalities, Wieden+Kennedy Amsterdam put special emphasis on being together, making the Virtual Holiday Dinner closer to the office’s DNA than any Christmas card would be able to achieve.

“We’ve used the finest technology known to man to ensure this is as awkward as any real life family holiday dinner. Maybe more so.” said Managing Director Lee Newman.