Amplify’s New Innovation Practice ‘Futures’ Releases Prototypes to Drive Experiences and Culture

Amplify has launched FUTURES, a dedicated innovation practice focused on helping brands embrace and navigate creative technology, entertainment and IP.

We scroll a mile every day, and it’s clearly impacting our mental health. But how can you convince someone to escape the DoomScroll when they don’t even know they have a problem? Enter DoomScroller by FUTURES, a device that reveals your secret scrolling habit and turns it into a receipt. DoomScroller, which has been designed in collaboration with Kai Lab’s creative technologist, Sean Malikides, merges the physical and digital worlds, allowing us to see a greater cause and effect of our digital actions.

DoomScroller is one of three prototypes revealed by FUTURES, the Amplify-owned dedicated innovation practice focused on exploring the interconnected space between creative technology, entertainment and IP. FUTURES believe in the power of community – so today they have made it possible to download their code and access the research. 

Sonic spatial AI tool, Space Beats, allows artists and fans to co-create music, using movement as a prompt. Designed in collaboration with Creative Technologist Eoghan O'Keaffe, Space Beats enables a musician to place melodies in space using GPS, as fans move between points a new track is generated based on their co-ordinates. Different guests can play various musical roles and collaborate in new ways - however, this newly generated music all comes from the artist's vision but is mediated by AI. FUTURES have released the code as part of their prototype drop. 

Next in development is an object designed to help bring people closer together no matter the distance. Created in collaboration with Tigris Li, Sonic Affections allows users to relive the emotions expressed in conversation. Using sentiment analysis AI, academic research in haptic design and our physiological responses we can evoke the same reactions that the person speaking originally felt. FUTURES are drawing back the curtain, allowing access to the Sonic Affections research.  

Led by innovation creative director, Ed Hallam and head of special projects, Izzy Kertland, FUTURES pulls together the passions, expertise and experience across Amplify’s global offices in London, LA, New York, Sydney and Paris -  including ECD Tim Baggott, Creative Lisa Aoyama and Group Business Director Kate Maidment.

Ed Hallam, innovation creative director, said: “FUTURES is a hopeful look ahead to imagine the possibilities of technology for the future of experience and campaign storytelling. Our goal is to ultimately build ideas that don’t exist today through our experiments and prototypes. By allowing others to download our code and access our research we hope collaboratively we can continue to create experiences and stories that serve a culture that is constantly being reshaped.”