Xuhao Yuan, Alexander Brown

Harbin Beer: NBA FOOH Drone Show

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“We created the biggest NBA campaign in China with a stunning faux-out-of-home drone show that put beer and basketball in the skies of Shanghai.”

Alexander Brown, Creative Director, UNIT9

The background

Leading Chinese lager brand, Harbin Beer, were once again named as an official partner of the NBA after a four-year hiatus. With NBA star Klay Thompson joining as the brand’s new ambassador, Harbin Beer wanted to mark the occasion with a memorable activation that got fans talking during the 2024 NBA playoffs. So we created the most spectacular slam dunk in history with a fake-out-of-home drone show.

The execution

Set against Shanghai’s unique skyline, we used virtual drones to merge Harbin Beer’s story with the city’s architecture and craft. Rising up amongst some of Shanghai’s most iconic buildings, our larger than life basketballer jumps to place a ball in an illuminated net, before the light show reconfigures to display a Harbin beer bottle popping its lid open on the appropriately shaped Shanghai World Financial Center.

The drones were created in 3D and composited onto real footage. We began by carefully storyboarding the action and finding key shots we wanted to capture which would give the skyline its boldest and most dramatic angles. Rather than using stock, we sent out a team in Shanghai to capture the skyline with a real drone, which then gave us footage to track in the drones and bring the animation to life.

A real drone show of this scale would be technically improbable, if not impossible. Going down the FOOH route allowed us to create a performance that broke the physical limitations of real-world drone shows, showcasing something that has never been seen before – whilst also keeping it realistic enough to maintain belief.

The results

The Harbin Beer FOOH Drone Show created a social media sensation for the brand, with 14k+ interactions on WeChat and higher engagement rates than much of Harbin’s celebrity content. The fact that online audiences expressed their disappointment at missing the ‘real life’ show is a testament to the skill of the team in balancing believability with the ultimate wow factor and proving that FOOH activations can be just as impactful as the real thing.