photo gallery
A Dessert Island
By Charles Pappas with photos by Proto Images and BoothTube

Mondelēz International Inc. hungered for an exhibit at the Sweets and Snacks Expo that could display the multinational food company's smorgasbord of brands, which range from Tang to Triscuit and from Chiclets to Chips Ahoy!

Looking like a Hulk-sized version of Candyland, the exhibit was awash in the company's brand colors of its salty snacks and sweetened confections. Working with Derse Exhibits Inc., Mondelēz populated its 50-by-70-foot island stand with more than 20 larger-than-life sculptures crafted with specialized high-density foam carved by a 7-axis robotic arm and a CNC bit attachment. More than a dozen Sour Patch Kids in hues of green, blue, red, and orange, and glazed with a clear sand grain to replicate their sugary texture, gamboled about the booth.
Client: Mondelēz International, Inc., Chicago
Design/Fabrication: Derse Exhibits Inc., Milwaukee
Size: 50-by-70 feet (3,500 square feet)
Estimated Cost: $2 - $4.9 million
Estimated Cost/Square Foot: $571 - $1,400
Massive Oreos, ranging from 30 inches to 8 feet in diameter, some with LED-lit ā?ocrèmeā? centers and others stacked like poker chips, filled the booth. Seemingly sourced from a 10-foot-tall package of the iconic cookie, one was ingeniously used as the seat of a swing, while another stood on its edge in the middle of a splashing tidal wave of a (plastic) milk pour, ready for dunking in the dairy puddle. A 12-foot mountain in shades of chocolate and caramel represented the company's newly acquired brand, Clif Bar.

Tempted by the giant but inedible replicas, attendees could sample actual products at five branded reception areas. The BelVita counter offered samples of the brand's breakfast nibbles with, fitting for the day's first meal, coffee at the adjacent barista bar. A double-deck conference room and two semi-private meeting rooms featuring branded décor allowed commerce to occur even in the midst of all the confections. To commemorate their time in the booth, show-goers could snap selfies at a customized Oreo photo kiosk that created engaging GIFs, showing everyone how sweet it was. E

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