Imagine Cup | Indigo Slate, A Zensar Company

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Imagine Cup

Microsoft

Shining a spotlight on the innovators of tomorrow

We set the stage for Imagine Cup participants to face-off in Microsoft’s annual student developer competition.

Overview

Imagine Cup is the global student developer competition that empowers participants to unleash their passion and purpose by creating innovative solutions to real-world problems. For the last four years, we’ve partnered with the Microsoft team to create, shoot, and produce a unique one-of-a-kind experience for the live event.

Client name

Microsoft

Discipline

brand, strategy

Approach

The early 2020s ushered in an era of change — reshaping our lives and redefining how we live, learn, and connect. Amidst the unpredictability, the enduring spirit of humanity and our profound optimism fueled remarkable innovation. And then came 2023, a year that saw generative AI become a household name, empowering us to transcend our own capabilities and seize new ones. So, for this year’s Imagine Cup, we dove headfirst into the limitless possibilities of AI, inviting our student competitors to unlock a wellspring of inspiration and boldly dream new realities.

Solution

Over the course of three months, we brought our campaign theme, “Dreaming New Realities”, to life. We started by meticulously crafting our visual identity and then weaving it through every element of the live show, from motion graphics and title cards to scripts, set design, and student interviews. Everything seamlessly coming together for our live taping and this year’s special surprise, the opportunity to reveal our Imagine Cup Champion at Microsoft’s biggest annual event — Microsoft Build.

Driving results

Engaging our audience with 20 episodes across three quarters of a year enabled us to build credibility and anticipation while delivering results all along the way.

an image from the world championship labeled "300K views"

A series of successes

Each year, we welcome a fresh group of talented student competitors to the stage at the Imagine Cup World Championship. And each year, we look for new ways to deliver an experience that is as unique as their innovations. Our goal is to create a theme that celebrates our students’ hard work and dedication, sparks a sense of wonder, and is reflective of current times and trends in innovation.

a collection of images from 2021, 2022. and 2023

2022: Dare to Try

Creating a hybrid experience

The 20th anniversary of Imagine Cup came at a time when the lines between our physical and digital lives were becoming increasingly blurred. This year, we took on a new hybrid format, and with it a new set of challenges, but by embracing the spirit of the competition we found solutions for all of them.

A screen grab from the imagine cup show featuring contestants and hosts

Behind the scenes image of the Imagine Cup stage

GIF showing how the finalists are chosen

2021: Sense of Place

Elevating a remote show

Just like everyone else in 2021, we were adjusting to a remote-first way of life, which meant a fully remote Imaging Cup. As all innovators know, big dreams can come with big obstacles, and we were determined not to let the format change take away from our student competitors’ experience.

Credits

Creative Director 

Colin McKeveny

Associate Creative Director 

Josh Palmer

Senior Art Director 

Colton McMurray

Copy Director

Cody Barz

Producer

Kristen Barry

Producer

Sandy Asher

Line Producer

Garland Hooker

Cinematographer

Cody Brown

Executive Producer

Aidan Martin

Director of Photography

Aaron Russell

Senior Account Director

Elizabeth Filin-Matthews

Project Management Manager

Jen Sa

Motion Designer

Ivan Canchon

Motion Designer

Phil Reed

Senior Designer

Andrea Sanchez

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