Case Study: Rube Goldberg

Starting a Chain Reaction for Bank of America

The Challenge

Octagon’s client (Bank of America) wanted to to illustrate conceptually how each swipe of a credit card would start a chain reaction towards ending the AIDS epidemic in Africa.

The Solution

Britten helped design & build fully functioning “Rube Goldberg Machine” for Bank of America, all in a few short weeks.

• An oversized card swiped by attendees triggered a video display and a sequential chain of events.
• Once a donation goal was reached, the Rube Goldberg machine would initiate.
• The machine was comprised of ten mechanisms, designed to look like old fashioned toys.
• The majority of the graphics were printed on plywood and cut using a MultiCam CNC router.
• Wherever possible, the machine integrated the actual products that are offered by Project(RED), including ornaments, skateboards, water bottles and much more.

The Impact

The Rube Goldberg Experience was on display for four days in Bryant Park, NYC and raised thousands of dollars for Project(RED). The entire machine was delivered in person, assembled and staffed by Britten’s tireless team — it was an exhausting but rewarding experience!