All work

A live social feed for the Qatar 2022 countdown clock

As a technical supplier to Newsubstance, we created the real-time content and built the live pipeline that put fans' tagged Instagram photos and messages onto the countdown clock's LED displays in Doha, moderated, within moments of posting.

Client
Qatar 2022 Countdown Clock
Our role
Real-time content, workflow design and live social media integration
Year
2021
Location
Doha, Qatar
The Qatar 2022 countdown clock on its stage on the Doha waterfront on the night it was unveiled, with guests either side and the city skyline behind.

Frame from broadcast footage of the clock's unveiling in Doha, November 2021, as cut into our showreel.

The brief

Newsubstance were delivering the official FIFA World Cup countdown clock in Doha, Qatar, and needed a way to connect the physical installation with a global digital audience.

What we did

As a technical supplier to Newsubstance, we designed and built the live integration system that made it possible, bringing fans’ voices into the heart of the clock. Supporters around the world tagged their Instagram posts, and within moments their photos and messages appeared on the clock’s large LED displays, turning personal posts into a shared, global celebration.

We also created the content itself. In Notch, we designed the real-time animation that carried fans’ photos and messages across the clock’s displays, with particle bursts and transitions between each wave of posts.

How it works

  • Tagged posts are collected in real time.
  • Every post passes through a moderation step before it can reach a screen.
  • Approved posts are rendered live across the installation.