AKQA

Written in the Stars

Send an unforgettable holiday message into the heavens – an exclusive collaboration between AKQA and Massive Attack.

Three smartphones are displayed against a dark background, with the center phone showing a starry sky app titled Written in the Stars. White earphones are placed in front of the center phone.

Insight

We may not be under the same roof with loved ones over the holidays, but we are all under the same sky, sharing a view of the stars.

In a world gone mobile, the tradition of sending well-crafted holiday greetings is slowly fading away. We set out to remind people that no matter how far apart they were during the holidays, messages could still be memorable.

Idea

Written in the Stars is a mobile browser experience designed to reconnect loved ones who could not be together at holiday time. Reaching out was as simple as sending a text message, no app download required.

Constellations come together as the user types their message in the stars. We collaborated with Massive Attack to score an original, interactive soundtrack, which reacted to each user’s device orientation and location to create a unique experience every time.

A person wearing black gloves holds a white smartphone, showing a star map app and an on-screen keyboard. The phone is being used in a dark environment.

Impact

Thousands of unique holiday greetings were seen in the stars, including two marriage proposals.

This was not only a technological achievement in and of itself – with the whole experience designed and built for the mobile web – but more importantly, it was a truly unforgettable experience for two lucky couples.