Growing up in the 1990s was nothing like growing up in the 2000s. The internet was still just a baby, children didn’t have smartphones, and they surely didn’t use social media to connect with friends. All they could name as  ‘gadgets’ were the almighty Tamagotchi, or maybe the Game Boy.

In the absence of high-tech devices, children of this decade had to use their imagination to entertain themselves. They could play hide and seek, the floor is lava, climb the trees, or just dig holes in an attempt to reach to the other side of the world (which somehow was always China, no matter the place you were digging from). These were just a few ways to have fun.

In fact, the last one of these activities used to be a common childhood fantasy. One when every kid imagined themselves all covered in mud, emerging somewhere in China screaming out loud that we finally did it! Sadly, none of those who attempted to build an underground tunnel succeeded. But no one can blame them for not trying! Even if they used today’s advanced technology, reaching to the other side of the world via a tunnel that goes through the center of the Earth was, is, and will be out of the question.

But even so, some kids didn’t give up on their dreams. All grown-up and free to do exactly what they wanted, a group of artists and designers from Berlin-based kids creative agency started ‘digging.’ But instead of using a shovel, they equipped themselves with technology’s best treats. And as silly as this may sound, their mission was successful. Well, would you doubt a “creative agency founded on the philosophy that playful curiosity can be harnessed to create innovative ideas and solutions”? We hope not!

Our traditional #ThrowBrandThursday column embraces a slightly childish subject this week. It features an amazing tribute to our childhood memories and represents a major throwback to the wonderful times we grew up in. But this wouldn’t have been possible if it wasn’t for the artists’ stubbornness to show that anything can be done if you wish for it hard enough. So, the kids creative agency teamed up with Nordic Society for Invention and Discovery and came up with the “Scream Through Earth” installation. The walkie-talkie-like project proves that dreams really come true – one way or another. The project bloomed on two opposite sides of the world: Hong Kong and Los Angeles.

Although these locations are not antipodal, we do appreciate the agency’s effort to not let science stay in their way. Who knows, maybe they chose a more complicated route, or they simply imagined that the tunnel ends in the Northern Hemisphere only.

The important thing is that the interactive tunnel ‘randomly’ popped up in these locations and lured pedestrians to connect with people from the other side of the world in real-time using just tin cans. Inside the cylindrical containers, the artists placed microphones and speakers, creating the illusion of a direct underground passage. Although the tunnel was up for a few hours only, people from different parts of the world had plenty of time to say “Hi” or “néih hóu” to each other and even learn some new words.

The Berlin-based studio’s mission does not stop here. This was only the beginning of a new, magical journey. The six Kids who joined forces to contour the mind-blowing tunnel said that they hope to install a permanent pipeline, only this time, from Germany’s capital to Nouméa, New Caledonia. And that is an old-school digging hole with a modern twist! Do you like it?

Credits:

Studio: The Kids