Dive Into the World's First Underwater Sony Store

When you bring a new smartphone to a crowded market, you need to stand out. So to launch its waterproof Xperia Z3 range, Sony Mobile took a totally new direction: down. All the way to the bottom of the sea.

The world’s first underwater store brought the Sony store experience to the shores of Dubai. With nearly 17,000 litres of breathable space, customers who swam through its doors could explore the Xperia range in a truly unique environment.

The product displays were designed and 3D printed to replicate real corals, with each display individually crafted to fit an Xperia device perfectly. 

To maintain the air supply, an air circulation system ran underground from a nearby beach and up into the store through hidden channels in the legs. 

And so customers could share their experiences live, the store even offered WiFi. 

Given its sheer size, the amount of air inside the store created nearly twenty tonnes of upward force—so it was anchored by huge concrete blocks buried in the seabed. 

The innovative project was carried out by Sony Mobile’s advertising agency FP7 Dubai.