Once concerns about mental health, digital safety and online abuse reached key points, the giant ITAB stepped up to promote one of the most memorable and meaningful public installations in recent memory.
Known for transforming digital interfaces into interactive experiences on a human scale, the large touchscreen device was used in an awareness campaign by the Archewell Foundation, founded by the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, in partnership with creative agency M&C Saatchi.
The campaign focused on a clear message. It’s not about using technology as part of the solution to tackle online harm. This case study explains how the team leveraged that vision, from design and manufacturing to installation and project management, and how technology helped turn digital storytelling into a powerful real-world experience.
Challenge
The briefs were ambitious. It raises urgent awareness of the real-world consequences of digital harm, especially among young people. The campaign had to go beyond statistics and news headlines to turn shared social issues into personal emotionally resonant experiences.
Solution? They often make smartphones, which are digital harm vehicles. This is used to highlight the danger.
Solved
From the beginning, Giant Itab worked closely with M&C Saatchi and the Archewell Foundation to understand the emotional and technical nuances of the campaign, from design consulting and custom manufacturing to on-site installation and complete project management.
We have provided 55 custom-made lightbox style smartphones for rooftop installations in New York City. Each device displayed images of young people whose lives were lost as a result of social media-related online abuse and mental health crisis. Smartphones are not just technology products, they have become iconic monuments.
By simulating the appearance and user experience of a real smartphone on a human scale, this installation exposed the pain of private digital. The result was an immersive, visually powerful showcase that stopped passersby by trucks.
Our technical team has overcome tough time frames, complex logistics and strict NDAs to provide a fully integrated and emotionally resonating experience. The team worked with the creative director and production team to ensure that each screen supports the intended narrative and even customized software to maintain content consistency and responsiveness throughout the installation.
This was not a passive recognition campaign. It was an artistic intervention designed to promote peaceful protest, reflection and, ultimately, systematic reform.
result
The campaign attracted extensive media attention, including national coverage from BBC News. It sparked important public conversations about online safety and responsibility for technology platforms. For the Archewell Foundation, the installation has fulfilled its mission to turn consciousness into action, igniting meaningful dialogue between both the public and key stakeholders in the tech industry.
For the huge itab, the project proved its ability to:
– Remove large and emotionally sensitive campaigns under strict NDAs.
– Design, manufacture and install custom-made technology under a tight international timeline
– Combin cutting edge design with deep emotional storytelling. Our devices not only host content, they have become part of our story.
Why did it work?
The campaign was created for specific audiences from advertising agencies, experiential event planners, digital content readers and telecom brands. It showed what is possible when storytelling, technology and purpose intersect.
Towering smartphones provided space for memory, emotions and engagement. Each screen became a curated moment that gave a quiet, engaging audience a voice to reflect on the real-world impact of digital harm.
The campaign has transformed smartphones into something bigger than life, not just size, but important.
Key takeout
The campaign offers powerful insight into how digital storytelling can escape the scope of the screen and take on concrete, human form. When technology is combined with emotions and purpose, it becomes unforgettable.
For agencies, brands and public sector organisations ready to release statements, Giant ITAB offers a platform to turn awareness into action and campaigns into conversation starters.
What’s next?
This is not the first time our technology has been used to support meaningful technical education and strong brand storytelling. Past initiatives include collaborations with Cleveland Community Police Department to help young people understand cybersecurity through interactive, hands-on sessions and projects designed to help students build safer digital habits by engaging in a familiar digital environment on a human scale.
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