In Ireland, emigration is a way of life, with 48% of people born there deciding to (or having to) leave. More than 2 million Irish people have moved to Australia, on the other side of the world, tearing families apart.
This loneliness is most keenly felt at Christmas.
Three Mobile and Samsung wanted to help, using everyday technology to connect these families. Together they launched The Connected Restaurant, the world’s first restaurant where every table is split between Dublin and Sydney, 17,209km away. We hosted Christmas dinner for families split between these two locations so families stuck on 2 sides of the world finally got to experience Christmas dinner around one table, connected by Samsung Screens and Three Mobiles Network.
A custom booking engine was created to allow the public to apply for a table and within minutes the restaurant was booked for 3 month’s worth of sittings.
With the two halves of each table separated by thousands of miles, we combined the latest, high-speed streaming technology to ensure zero latency and an intimate dining experience. Strategically targeted and hidden cameras and microphones, feeding into custom image processing software, was used to seamlessly connect the two locations. Capturing the moment for the social film and critically making the families feel as if they were enjoying their meal together in the same space.
A custom photo booth captured a memento of the special occasion for the familes to share and keep forever.
To make the experience feel authentic, countless trials were performed to make sure every second lined up. But in the end, the idea of connecting families through the power of technology was executed beautifully.
