- “The biggest difference in this experiment is that there is no photographer. My friends and I took photos with the remote control and felt free to express ourselves. We had a really good time doing this experiment. The photos are beautiful and we’ll use them for our group’s Facebook profile picture.”
Huong Xuan and Dat Bach are two of the visitors who have tried the photo booth experiment at the exhibit “Special moment” hosted by Everon, one of the most popular bedding brands in Vietnam. All the photos and items displayed in the exhibit revolve around a single topic: “connection”. On the first floor, visitors will see a prototype of a sewing machine where all the threads are linked to each other, which symbolizes how people are connected during this pandemic.

The prototype of a sewing machine (Photo: Everon)

The photos are all in black and white to focus on people’s facial and emotional expression rather than their clothing (Photo: Everon)

After they view the exhibit, visitors are guided to the second floor, where they can experience a 4-minute photo booth session in a private room. There is a friend box, a couple box, and a family box containing questionnaires. Visitors choose a questionnaire, then sit down and start asking each other questions like “A moment you feel especially connected to me is when?”, “Describe part of yourself that you didn’t know existed until you met me?”, and “When was the last time you expressed appreciation?”. Visitors move to the photo shoot as soon as they finish their Q&A challenge, which, the staff says, documents their feeling and emotions at that moment. The staff closes a curtain to ensure privacy and help partners focus on each other. Ben Lee, Everon’s brand marketing manager, said: “A self-photo studio is more appropriate because when you’re in front of a photographer, you might not reveal your true emotions. That’s why we recommend eye contact first and then move to the photoshoot to immediately capture the moment. It can be with your loved ones, your friends, your family, or even a stranger. When you look at a stranger you have a weird connection after 4 minutes of eye contact. You really build up a lot of intimacy.”

Visitors move to the photo shoot as soon as they finish their Q&A challenge, which, the staff says, documents their feeling and emotions at that moment (Photo: Everon)

The exhibit is part of a promotion campaign to introduce Everon’s annual collection. This year’s collection theme is Ankara, an African style which suggests connection. According to Everon, people have become disconnected from their loved ones, family, friends, and even themselves in the time of COVID. The photo experiment is meant to help people remember, make, and share special moments. The exhibit receives around 50 people a day.

Junghyun Lee told us: “I think it depends on the guests and there were a lot of reactions. 3 days ago, there were 3 couples who actually cried while they were doing this experiment. One couple I was watching, the boyfriend cried 30 seconds after the eye contact. We asked him some questions and he said a lot of emotions were going through his mind while staring into his girlfriend’s eyes. It was very strange. It wasn’t like the feelings he normally has.”

According to Ben, people don’t usually look into someone’s eyes for more than 10 seconds. The experiment wants to break that ordinary practice and show how it can create different impressions. For the first one or two minutes, attendees usually find it funny, but then when it comes to three and then four minutes, they feel something different as they start to feel the person they’re looking at, which Ben called “the moment of connection”.

The photos are all in black and white to focus on people’s facial and emotional expression rather than their clothing. Taking selfies using a remote control and no editing makes the difference. Junghyun Lee said: “The biggest difference is there was no photographer. A lot of people tend to feel awkward when there’s a photographer, and it doesn’t really bring their inside out. We don’t edit any photo because if they go through editing, the whole atmosphere and vibe of the photo gets shifted. We try to document that special moment, so no editing.”
All their photos will be sent to visitors via email. If they give their permission, Everon will use their photos on Youtube and Facebook. If they refuse permission, Everon will send them their original snaps when the exhibit ends. Everon plans to partner with the local artist community to create similar activities that are both fun and meaningful. They have partnered with pet adoption agencies in Hanoi, Da Nang, and HCM city, and are calling on their customers to donate old pillows to provide dogs and cats a soft, warm bed.