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Tomorrowland: The Book of Wisdom

Challenge

Tomorrowland—one of the world’s largest and most impressive music festivals—has a unique annual theme that’s inspired by the festival’s mythology. Each year’s theme is played out in an elaborate manner across all aspects of the festival—from stage designs, to signage, to ticketing, and beyond. Prior to the start of the festival, Tomorrowland traditionally surprises and delights its guests with a stunning gift package that often doubles as a way to deliver concert entry bracelets. For its 15th anniversary in 2019, Tomorrowland approached Melcher Media to create an elaborate book for this purpose.

Solution

We produced The Book of Wisdom, an original novel that was packaged alongside that year’s admission bracelet in a slipcase and mailed to every attendee in the weeks leading up to the event. The book itself tells the story of Tana and Jean, two young adults who live on opposite sides of the world but are brought together when they both stumble into a magical universe. They embark on a journey through different fantastical realms, in an attempt to restore order to the world so that the Tomorrowland festival may begin.

Digital art selected for the #. (E,retro, art, antique, ornate, picture frame, no person, paper, vintage, design, old, classic, decoration, dirty, ancient, victorian, texture, card, margin, cover, interior design)

TRANSLATED FOR AN INTERNATIONAL AUDIENCE

Tomorrowland has an attendance of over 400,000 people from 200 different countries—making it the most international event on the planet. We translated The Book of Wisdom into five different languages in order to ensure that guests from all around the globe would be able to enjoy it.

The book of the - page. (CHAPTERIV There had heen a reading stand just adjacent to where the table stood, and on it, book with a gilded red cover. The ale around i filed vith a density Z similar to the way the atmosphere feels before lightning strikes. Between the E CG pages of this bookcovered in so many ltters traced over and over cach other rhat it was almost impossible to purseasd thc almost solar system of Heralds R23 O E in th , something began to ake fom.ragmets, almot like piel, foldod T rhemselses isto csistesce there in the air, one by one, as though something H T as gdually domlouding onto screes. A manitatio was happening, and A O whatecver it was, it felt bigger than asything Tana had cver felt in her whole G D estire hife, like the arrival of god. Befoe she knew what was happening to T4 S ertearsw trcaming down her cheeks. Jean stood, neck craned, open- mouthed, in shock beside her. T U R A peojection from the book os the stard, a nev book, bigger book, T E crowmed by the formatios of Heralds. The puges wene blank for moment, but rot blank in vay that flt cmpy; blank is woy thut fet huge, totallike R hoo d y joed poaa C IS O IV les cnengy. A fremendoss power cmanated from it, ard the Councl at the table hung their heads in revet ME Slowly, textune and depth began to form on the white of the puges. A face c 0 Ppeared thernot hmas, not animal, but face for cerain. Tana wasn C .E D re if had cyes or nose or a mouth, or how it was composedthat sums 0 O V N Wast particalarly kind, nor was it harsh and croel. There was an immer 18 t, a feeling of something far bigger than Tana cosld hive cver known ked to her side for a moment and noticed that Joun seemed similarly ned. He couldn be yical here. He coudn be cofronational the foot of a miracle. nge, hallowed wind liftod so suddenly that it took of Tanas body as the book began to speak. chang in the,paper, no person, page, writing, retro, handwritten, antique, nostalgia, dirty, document, write, facts, parchment, literature, devoid, book bindings, empty, handwriting, business, poetry)
The map of the world. (retro, old, dirty, no person, antique, wood, paper, business, ancient, art, desktop, vintage, illustration, wear, design, text, nature, symbol, worn, spherical)

IMMERSIVE EPHEMERA

In addition to handwritten notes in the margins, the book includes beautifully crafted pieces of ephemera that relate to the story: a postcard from Jean, a letter from Tana, a secret code page, a pull-out map, a sticky note, and more.

A selection of the invitations. (BOOK WISDOM 02,retro, paper, no person, handwritten, old, nostalgia, business, dirty, travel, art, love, identity, antique, handwriting, cardboard, text, police, vintage, empty, writing)
The book of the dead. (THE BOOKOFWISDOM The astn omer pointod finger gilded with heiny rings at two of the small rsmpet birdsClarionsand they whizzed this way arnd that at her is nflod inher leathe puck, removed book, ilently ficked rhrough i fora et, and pulled out a puge. She handed it to Tasa. of rhe Cosncil of Tomorrowsot those of us who have studied other worlds e the skies. These Clarions will not only geant you direct and to the palace, bst they will also guide you if you take a ier The astn clasped her hand and gave her a long You trsly do hold such resolve in you, girl, she said, noq8n u8 NE e ar a Certinlyi f To close to the Gatheri thut. Ii this quie at stake thar terrible thing e.Bt so Tana grabbed Jean

HIDDEN SURPRISE

Perhaps most exciting is a secret tarot card, hidden under the book’s front endsheet, waiting to be discovered by an observant reader. Readers might find one of ten different cards—ambition, spontaneity, care, honesty, innovation, expression, responsibility, tolerance, resolve, or valor—and could ultimately look for opportunities to meet with others from their group at the festival.

A man

EXQUISITE EXTERIOR

On a production level, the book features intricate embossing and foil, as well as a debossed leather pattern, and the slipcase includes soft-touch lamination, compartmentalized drawers, and an elaborate foil pattern, making both objects feel like true artifacts from the Tomorrowland universe.

Digital art selected for the #. (Og C 6 OK C,retro, antique, art, paper, old, no person, ornate, picture frame, dirty, vintage, ancient, design, book bindings, cover, classic, decoration, literature, texture, victorian, album)
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