Intuit Inc., the global financial technology platform that makes Intuit TurboTax, Credit Karma, QuickBooks, and Mailchimp, is bringing its groundbreaking experience ‘Email is Dead’ from Intuit Mailchimp to South by Southwest Sydney (SXSW Sydney), as the festival of creativity returns to the harbour city for its second edition this October.
Email is Dead takes visitors on a multi-dimensional journey of how email looks, feels, sounds, and smells. By providing a 360-view of the feelings and sensations that email evokes, the experience urges contemplation on email’s transformative influence on societal norms, the business world, and our personal lives. Visitors will be immersed in the many facets of email—from life-altering emails sent in real life to a predictive email personality machine to expert predictions for the future.
The experience lands at Tumbalong Park from 14-20 October and follows up the success of Mailchimp’s 2023 Email is Dead exhibition at the Design Museum in London. Intuit Mailchimp’s in-house creative agency, Wink Creative, enlisted the help of Sydney-based creatives, Studio Messa, to invite SXSW Sydney attendees and spectators into a life-sized inbox, shining a light on the cultural power of email from its origins in the 1970s to its AI-powered future.
“Email is anything but mundane—it’s a deeply personal, universally connecting force that has shaped our world for decades. With this experience, we invite visitors to explore the eternal influence of the inbox and join us in celebrating email’s past, present, and AI-powered future. Is email dead? Not even close,” said Michelle Taite, chief marketing officer at Intuit Mailchimp.
Intuit Mailchimp’s experience, “Email is Dead,” will welcome visitors during the celebration of SXSW Sydney, from 14 to 20 October, 10:00 AM AEST at Tumbalong Park, paired with various events throughout the week for attendees, including:
Inspiring Conversation: Join Intuit Mailchimp’s Chief Marketing Officer, Michelle Taite, on the SXSW Sydney stage Thursday, 17 October at 12:00 PM for an enlightening panel discussion exploring the intricate relationship between artificial intelligence, creativity, and the art of storytelling.
Coffee Break: Need a pick-me-up between SXSW Sydney sessions? Stop by Intuit Mailchimp’s coffee cart on the second level of the ICC for a free barista-made coffee between 9:00 AM – 1:00 PM on Wednesday, 16 October.
Breakfast: Fuel up with Intuit Mailchimp at breakfast on Thursday, 17 October from 8:30 AM – 10:00 AM at Auvers Dining Darling Square. You’ll have the chance to mingle with marketing professionals and creative leaders over coffee, pastries, and breakfast to celebrate our immersive Email is Dead experience at Tumbalong Park.
Cocktail Hour: Join Intuit Mailchimp leaders and fellow marketers at Cartel on Thursday, 17 October from 4:00 PM – 6:00 PM for a custom cocktail hour and creative experience to see the power of personalisation come to life.
This experience at SXSW Sydney builds on Mailchimp’s momentum in Australia and New Zealand, as it further commits to supporting its hundreds of thousands of customers in the region with a growing local team and on the heels of its inaugural flagship event From: Here, To: There in July.
“Email is a big business in Australia. Despite being around for decades, email marketing remains an extremely valuable channel locally, where it works better than in any other region, even with the rise of other marketing channels like social media. Following the fantastic reception of our ‘Email is Dead’ exhibition in London, we’re thrilled to bring that same excitement to Australia. We can’t wait to connect with this audience and provoke conversations about the long-standing and personal relationship we have with email as a communication medium and powerful tool for innovation,” said Anthony Capano, regional director, ANZ, at Intuit Mailchimp.
“We’ve taken something as universal as email and transformed it into an interactive experience bringing email’s evolution to life in a way that’s both surprising and inspiring. By weaving in local cultural nuances, we’ve made sure this experience connects deeply with the Australian audience, where email marketing continues to thrive with engagement rates double the global average,” says Trey Wadsworth, creative director, Intuit Mailchimp & Wink Creative.
The experience was created in partnership with Studio Messa, the studio renowned for delivering some of Australia’s most immersive experiential marketing projects for the world’s leading luxury and lifestyle brands. Their work includes Court Beyond Limits, which featured a basketball court floating in the middle of Sydney Harbour.
“At Studio Messa, we love the opportunity to take international campaigns for global brands and reimagine them for the local Australian market. For SXSW Sydney 2024, we redefined every element of the ‘Email Is Dead’ campaign to resonate with local audiences, ensuring the experience delivers an elevated moment for the brand in Sydney. We’re introducing some exciting digital elements, including an email personalisation machine based on users’ unique communication traits, and an opportunity for attendees to send an email to their future selves. With our insights from producing previous successful campaigns at SXSW Sydney 2023, we’ve crafted an experience that’s immersive, thought-provoking, and distinctly Australian. It’s a testament to what can be achieved when global vision values local relevance,” said Peter Pengly, CEO at Studio Messa.
PRODUCTION CREDITS
Production Agency/Creative Partner
Studio Messa
Executive Sponsors
Michelle Taite, Chief Marketing Officer, Intuit Mailchimp
Anthony Capano, Regional Director, Australia and New Zealand, Intuit Mailchimp
Jeremy Jones, Executive Creative Director, Intuit Mailchimp
Creative Direction
Trey Wadsworth, Creative Director
Lauren Coutts, Associate Creative Director
Christian Widlic, Group Creative Director
Lead Creative Producer
Rebecca Cunningham, Intuit Mailchimp
Copy
Austin L. Ray, Intuit Mailchimp
Design
Luke Webster, Intuit Mailchimp
Tiffany Chan, Intuit Mailchimp
Motion Design
Kito Kondowe, Intuit Mailchimp
Sound Design
Luke Webster & James Abercrombie, Intuit Mailchimp
Brand Marketing
Megan Spellman, Intuit Mailchimp
Caroline Albro, Intuit Mailchimp
Anna Folger, Intuit Mailchimp
Social Media
Savannah Wiles, Intuit Mailchimp
Amanda Vance, Intuit Mailchimp
Public Relations
Chris McGee, Intuit Mailchimp
Kate Arora, Intuit Mailchimp
Archetype Australia
Business Affairs Director
Hadley Gwin, Intuit Mailchimp
Scent
Tatiana Godoy Betancur
Content Capture
Kine Studios
