Invesco QQQ @ NYCWFF

Invesco QQQ worked with Groove Jones (game development), TH Experiential (physical build) and Episode Four (creative production and talent) to create a captivating, interactive experience for our activation at the NYC Wine & Food Festival in Brooklyn. The goal was to merge the world of culinary creativity with Invesco’s innovative spirit by developing a two-player interactive game, based off our food series “Recipe for Innovation,” hosted by James Beard Winner Chef Kwame Onwuachi.

I had the opportunity to contribute design and direction on game UI design, matching closely to the visual standards we set in our various game and digital experiences and supported direction on activation styling.

I also designed out of home elements for the NYC Ferry that connected attendees to the festival.

The Activation

We wanted an activation that would attract attendees and provide an engaging way to interact with their brand, which was elevated and innovative and had never been done before. The experience needed to reflect the festival’s culinary theme while seamlessly integrating Invesco QQQ’s messaging around innovation and the cutting-edge companies found in their ETF. In addition, the game had to offer a unique, social media-worthy outcome to increase brand awareness and leave a lasting impression on guests.

People gathered outside a blue shipping container labeled "Recipe for Innovation Kitchen" at an outdoor event.

The Game

The production features a hologram of Chef Kwame Onwuachi, who hosts the cooking competition. Fans face a head-to-head challenge, where they become Chef Kwame’s Sous-Chef and help him prepare one of his custom recipes developed for Invesco QQQ, which five companies inspired in Invesco QQQ ETF.

A man stands in a modern kitchen setting with interactive screens displaying ingredient selection and a virtual sous-chef interface named Kwame. The screens show various cooking ingredients and options to proceed with a cooking activity. The environment is high-tech with a marble countertop in the foreground.
A person interacting with a digital recipe on a touchscreen displaying various ingredients for a dish, with text instructions to "select an ingredient and tap the plate." The interface is set on a marble countertop.
People interacting with a touchscreen kitchen counter displaying virtual ingredients, in a modern kitchen setting.
Two people using touchscreen stations in an Invesco QQQ interactive cooking setup, with a digital kitchen backdrop and a virtual chef displayed on a screen.

Out of Home

We had a custom interior ferry wrap In collaboration with the NYC Ferry system on the designated route connecting Wall Street with the Brooklyn Navy Yard, the home of the NYCWFF. As a way to welcome festival goers and bring attention to our sponsorship. The wrap was live for two weeks prior to the festival which served as advertising for NYCWFF for ferry goers on their daily commute.

Interior of a ferry with rows of empty seats facing large windows, displaying yellow advertisements above the windows, outside showing a view of the water and shore.
Yellow advertisement with blue text saying 'Recipe for Innovation' and 'Invesco QQQ' against a window overlooking water.
Interior of a bus or tram with empty gray seats and a blue floor advertisement for Invesco, displaying the text 'Let's rethink possibility.'
Two people smiling while posing for a photo outdoors, with a blue structure in the background. One person is wearing glasses and a black baseball cap, and the other is wearing a headscarf and a cap.