This summer from 15 July to 8 September, Bristol residents and visitors will be able to spark up conversations with the city, using nothing else but the humble text function on any mobile phone.
From today you can visit www.hellolamppost.co.uk to watch the trailer and keep an eye on the countdown to launch – not long to wait now Bristol!
Ben Barker, co-creator of Hello Lamp Post and co-founder of PAN Studio, says, “We’re incredibly excited to unleash Hello Lamp Post around the city this summer. We hope it will unlock the secrets, stories and experiences of Bristol’s people through Bristol’s objects. We have been developing the game mechanics and finessing conversation styles of the text messages that we hope will inspire Bristolians to converse and play with their street furniture – and ultimately each other, as they’ll get to discover more about other passers by in their vicinity. The more people take part the more fun for all, so do give it a go!”
Clare Reddington, Executive Producer of the Playable City Award, says, “We all know about smart cities, but here in Bristol we have a chance to get playful with our city instead. At the start of this year, the MIT Technology Review designated 2013 the year of the Internet of Things – a trend for physical objects to become more connected and interactive, and one we at Watershed wholeheartedly embrace with the Playable City Award, a chance for city dwellers to engage with the physical landscape around them in a fun and exploratory way. It’s a complete experiment, and we can’t wait to find out what we’ll discover about our street furniture, our city, and in the process, ourselves.”