Unilever: Betreibsrestaurant Mannheim

The Unilever Mannheim plant is turning 125 years old. For its birthday, we give it its own monument: a permanent exhibition that brings the history and future of the site to life.

The Brief

The plant celebrates its 125th anniversary in 2024 with everything that comes with it: a family festival, festive speeches, press on-site, and much more. Our task: to conceptualize and implement a permanent exhibition that invites visitors to engage with the past and future of the plant in an entertaining and informative way.

The solution

Our challenge: How do we bring the plant’s history to life in a way that interests employees, site visitors, and the press alike?

How we succeeded: With a moving story that made a splash. An exhibition that was not just a retrospective of the last 125 years but an interactive experience for all the senses. We didn’t just tell the company’s history statically but made it tangible and experiential at 7 different touchpoints.

With images, products, and promotional materials from bygone times, we created a genuine museum atmosphere and told the plant’s eventful history piece by piece. A timeline that led chronologically through the exhibition provided the necessary orientation. For those who preferred a more dynamic experience, our short film took them on a time journey that didn’t end in the present but in the future. Even founder William H. Lever got to have his say. Thus, the 125-year history and future vision of the site were appropriately represented and celebrated.

Motto: “Step by step to success – since 1899.”
Vision: “Together we shape the future. From Mannheim to the whole world.”