Charlie Gschwend

Instead of ads, we made the world’s first Underwater Apps.
To show what’s possible with Sony's waterproof phone.
Other than dropping it in the toilet.
We created these apps from scratch at W+K.
Not with Sony.
For Sony.
It was no small task.
But we learned a lot.
Even getting the code though Sony's vetting process.



While the phones were waterproof
They didn’t know when they were underwater.
So we invented a technology to teach it.
First, the phone emits a hypersonic sound.
Sounds travel at different speeds in air versus water.
Then, by listening to that sound
A phone can tell whether it’s submerged or not.
This allowed us to create fun little experiments.
Demos of when artists and engineers come together.
We open-sourced the code
To interact with our developer community.
Inviting them to make apps of their own.





AWARDS

Honoree – Webby Awards – Mobile Sites & Apps

PRESS

Forbes

AdAge

Creativity

Adweek

Luerzer's Archive

2023

charlie.gschwend@gmail.com