Capgemini’s ‘SEEING IS BELIEVING’ campaign won Gold in B2B Technology-Led Innovation at The Drum Awards, showcasing their WindSight IQ™ technology that made the wind visible during the America’s Cup, enhancing viewer experience and demonstrating their innovative capabilities.
Seeing is believing. Capgemini, a global leader in business and technology transformation, has over 55 years of experience providing a wide range of services from strategy and design to engineering and operations. Capgemini believes the next frontier lies at the intersection of the digital and physical worlds. To demonstrate their expertise, they launched 'WindSight IQ™'.
Meanwhile, in Barcelona, the America’s Cup faced a unique challenge. While sailors on the water feel the wind and react accordingly, viewers at home lack that information. Capgemini saw an opportunity to solve this challenge with a single innovation—one that would combine digital and physical technology in a powerful display. If they could make the wind visible, they could enhance the race experience for all and showcase their innovation capabilities.
This was the birth of 'WindSight IQ™'.
Capgemini’s objectives were:
Advertisement
They identified high-value executives and accounts from sectors including aerospace, automotive, finance, and public services to reach with their campaign. They aimed to showcase 'WindSight IQ™' as a technical solution with the potential to disrupt industries.
The first task was to build 'WindSight IQ™'. The second was to show it to the world.
Teams from Engineering, Data & AI, and Design united to develop the technology. By July 2024, it was ready for its final test on the open sea. In the America’s Cup control room, they watched as a sailboat appeared on the monitors. They flipped a switch, and bands of blue and green indicated wind. The boat reached the green patch and sped off as the gust filled its sail. They had done it. Weeks later, the same image appeared on screens in the international broadcast center and on millions of televisions worldwide.
While tech teams developed the solution, hospitality, marketing, and communications teams prepared to share this innovation with the world. 150 guests joined them at the AC37 Club, overlooking Barcelona’s harbor, to experience the power of 'WindSight IQ™'.
They increased their visibility through:
Directly following the event, they created a six-episode YouTube series that introduced the creation of 'WindSight IQ™'. This series was supported by a paid ad campaign and social media campaign, including:
This effort resulted in millions of views of their videos and reached 30% of their target audience.
Advertisement
They partnered with Alex Banks, a tech influencer “on a mission to build a better future with tech” and an avid follower of the America’s Cup. Their partnership garnered hundreds of thousands of additional video downloads.
During the America’s Cup, they hosted two separate media groups. They invited seven journalists from top Spanish publications and tier-1 media from around the world. They were mentioned in 206 pieces of media coverage, including 60 articles in local and global tier-1 media. They were interviewed by the BBC twice.
The 37th America’s Cup became the most viewed in history. The total number of TV viewers rose 37% from the previous year, up to 92 million. That’s 92 million people who saw the wind for the first time, together with the Capgemini brand. Additionally, 30% of their target audience saw their videos.
Advertisement
The business resulting from this event has been outstanding. They advanced their business relationships with the majority of the guests invited to the America’s Cup in the months that followed. The sponsorship and subsequent talks contributed to a pipeline in the hundreds of millions.
But that’s not all. 'WindSight IQ™' has become a product in its own right. A number of industries have discovered uses for it, leading to a healthy pipeline in under a year. It’s a unique situation where a solution developed for a marketing campaign turned into a product.
This event wasn’t just a turning point for the America’s Cup or the sport of sailing—it was a monumental moment for Capgemini. It provided an opportunity to raise awareness around their brand and the depth of their capabilities spanning their digital and physical worlds. It showed the world the value that could be achieved through a partnership with Capgemini. Engineers and product designers teaming up with marketers created something that transcended their individual teams. They transformed the America’s Cup. They made the wind visible. And they gained priceless visibility for their brand.
Ready to get your work recognized on a global stage? Enter The Drum Awards today. Need more inspiration? Read our Award Winning Case Studies.
Capgemini
Capgemini is a global leader in partnering with companies to transform and manage their business by harnessing the power of technology. The Group is guided everyday...