Automatic Slims: authentic lifestyle brand also has place in virtual world
Premise
Automatic Slims is an American lifestyle brand focused on creative designs and activation in real life and virtual spaces. Inspired by and transmitting the vibes of authentic music, art, and custom culture, it traces its origins to garage bands, underground nightclubs, and house parties. This influence has shaped the outlook of young generations on who they want to be.
Mission
Our task was to take all the authentic elements of Slims culture, translate real-world visuals into 3D, and add a layer of interactions to convey educational content, serve as an entertainment point, and create engagement for visitors to Automatic Slims. The Slims build has now transformed into not only an edutainment hub for visitors but also a space for events, an exclusive web2 brand activation space, and, most importantly, a unique product marketplace.
Art
The art of Automatic Slims is based on the Googie architecture, originating from California in the 1940s. It incorporates common elements from the Automatic Slims culture, along with a retro-futuristic touch in some of its designs and shapes. Inside the building you can discover unique designs, inspired by different brand takeovers and experiences, dynamically adapting to each brand activation.
The origins
Automatic Slims is a project that has undergone different design iterations, evolving over time to achieve a unique and eye-catching aesthetic. Let’s dive into the initial designs and trace its evolution.
In its early iterations, the building sought to represent the concept of “giant ship containers” for each of the four floors. These containers featured colorful windows, iconic Googie/neon signage and a huge mural adorning the side.
Refining the design
We found the initial iteration to be too “blocky” prompting us to pursue a more refined design. Adopting the potential of Googie architecture blended with a retro-futuristic style, we aimed for a more unique and captivating look. Here’s the result of that evolution:
As evident, we reduced the number of floors and introduced a rooftop. This wasn’t just a design renovation; we also revamped the UX to be more optimized and appealing to Decentraland users.
Interior designs and experiences
The interior designs feature a mix of brand activations, experiences and utilities that smoothly adapt to the ongoing brand takeover design. All of this is wrapped being in the characteristic Googie and neon signage, incorporation iconic elements from Automatic Slims, and even throwing in some "Easter Eggs" from the Star Wars and It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia TV series. As you can imagine, boredom is not an option inside the building; each room promises a unique experience!
Now let’s take a peek at the designs of the main spaces:
First floor
- The Lobby serves as the main space upon entering the building. Here, you'll will be greeted by our robot NPC, Paddy ‘O Furniture. Paddy will delight you with tales of Slims and it’s unique experiences, guiding you through the quests. The design of this space exudes warmth and charm, featuring wooden furniture, a fireplace and cozy couches for a welcoming and inviting atmosphere.
- Close to the left-side door of the Lobby, you can enter the Record Store, currently activated by Slip’n’Slide Records. Step inside to discover an old school record store featuring NFT merchandise and music records. Currently undergoing a fresh redesign, so stay tuned for exciting updates!
Second floor
- The Neon Bar Stage is a space inspired by the real-world Automatic Slims bars, mixed with cyberpunk neon lighting. Undoubtedly the most distinctive area in the building, the contrast is sure to catch your eye. Take a closer look and you might uncover some hidden Easter eggs. Good luck with the hunt!
- To the left of the stage, you’ll discover the entrance to the Slims Marketplace. The design is entirely focused on Slims’ neon elements, maintaining a close style to the stage area. Inside you’ll find 4 NFT Stations and a wearable showcase in the middle.
- The Branded Pop-ups Room is a dedicated space designed for brands to activate and showcase their products. The current activation is by Pure Blanco, with the design mirroring their real-world stores.
Third floor (rooftop)
To end all this, we’ve crafted a rooftop experience infused with a strong retro-futuristic influence and adorned with Googie elements. Inside the glass dome, discover a movie theater, a podcast airstream trailer and our Treasure Hunt minigame stand. Snap pictures with giant products of your choice from our minigames!
Educative experiences
There’s a side entrance to the building that leads to our interactive and educative experience. Within the experience, you’ll find three different spaces curated by different companies that are experts in their fields.
ACS Laboratory
This marks the initial space of the experience, designed in alignment with ACS branding for a clean and scientific aesthetic. Interactive machines with animations guide users through the process of analyzing legal substance samples, imparting knowledge on how to interpret a CoA (Certificate of Analysis).
Cultivation room
Moving to the second space, users can explore the entire life cycle of cultivation across all five stages. Each stage is illustrated with explicit visual examples to enhance user understanding of the process. Curated by 965 Solutions, the design features green neons to match the greens, providing an immersive experience into the cultivation journey.
Extraction and Infusion rooms
Concluding the educational journey, the Extraction and Infusion rooms offer interactive machines providing insights into the extraction and infusion processes. The Extraction experience, curated by Masterkemist, dives into the art of extraction, while The Galley takes the reins in the Infusion room, guiding users through the of complexities of the infusion process.
Interactivity & gamification
Sign book
The sign book allows any player who wants to leave proof of their visit to Automatic Slims, as well as check the names of all players who have signed. This feature serves as a great indicator of players who enjoyed the scene enough to publicly document their visit for others to see.
Video streaming
Enjoy a continuous musical vibe with our permanent music streaming feature. Players can groove to the tunes the client is streaming from any floor. Feel free to pause the music whenever you need a break. Plus, the client has the power to stop the music, leaving the stream empty or kick-starting a special video event for everyone to enjoy.
Treasure hunt
Players can join a treasure hunt, searching for of objects hidden distributed across the scene.If they successfully find all of the objects, they will be rewarded with a wearable item.
Educative quiz
If a player enters the building through the side door, they will gain access to the laboratory. Here, the robot will invite them to participate in a quiz, and in exchange, the player can earn a wearable as a reward.
The quiz involves a exploring and learning in four rooms: the laboratory, the cultivation, the extraction and the infusion rooms, each subdivided into two parts.
In the first part of each floor, the robot will prompt you to investigate the floor, searching for information scattered in key points.
Once you find all of them, you’ll progress to the next part.
In the second part, you’ll need to answer questions correctly based on the information available on the floor.
After successfully completing all four rooms, the robot will reward you with a password to access the secret room on the 2nd floor. Inside, you’ll have the opportunity to obtain a fashionable wearable as a token of your accomplishment.
Conclusion
Automatic Slims is great example of content over anything - bringing brands, products and events to space, it has become more engaging and innovative space than many highly gamified experiences, while staying true to Slims culture.
