Case Study: Brand Avatar at the USBI Showcase
CREATING IMPACT MOMENTS
How do brands create an event moment people remember long after the lights go down?
At the USBI showcase in January 2026, held at Vodaworld in Midrand, Brand Avatar answered that question by using avatars and holographic presence not as a novelty, but as a live experience strategy.
Reimagining the DJ Through Afrofuturism
One of the standout moments was a live-avatar DJ performance created by Brand Avatar in collaboration with Kinetic and flutist Carina Bruwer.
Brand Avatar created a digital double of Kinetic and reimagined him through an Afrofuturistic lens. The futuristic design extended beyond the avatar itself into the world around him, shaping the visual environment of the performance and giving the experience a bold, cinematic feel.
As Carina performed live on stage, Kinetic operated his avatar from backstage, allowing the digital DJ to appear on screen and perform alongside her in real time.
The result was a layered entertainment moment that blended live music, avatar performance and immersive visual storytelling. It was designed to capture attention, shift expectations and show audiences what becomes possible when digital humans enter the world of live performance.
Launching the Holobox
Brand Avatar also launched the Holobox in association with USBI — a life-size holographic display designed to create real presence.
In one application, the Holobox brought a speaker from Geneva into the room as a presenter.
In another, it became an interactive feature in the hospitality area, where guests engaged with both a live speaker and an avatar version of Brand Avatar’s founder.
Presence That Feels Real
At close to two metres tall, the Holobox did not feel remote.
It felt present. Human. In-room.
That is what made the experience different. It moved beyond screen-based communication and created a sense of immediacy that changed how people experienced both speakers and avatars. Instead of simply watching, audiences felt as though they were sharing space with them.
Turning Innovation into Experience
Together, these activations showed how avatars, digital humans and holographic formats can do more than deliver information.
They can create emotional connection.
They can spark curiosity.
And they can turn an event into something people remember.
Brand Avatar helps brands turn emerging technology into real-world moments of presence, performance and impact.
