BMO Grand Opening Case Study: AI Photo Booth Activation at Armstrong Plaza

When BMO opened its newest branch at Armstrong Plaza in Riverside South, they didn’t want a ribbon-cutting and a plate of cookies. They wanted an event that felt like the future of banking. One that gave guests something to experience, something to take home, and something to share.

We delivered all three.

The Brief

BMO’s team needed a full-service activation partner for their grand opening at 120 Blanca St in Gloucester. The event had three goals: create a memorable brand experience for community guests, produce professional headshots for the new branch team, and capture high-quality event photography and videography for BMO’s internal and marketing channels.

One vendor. Three deliverables. Zero coordination headaches for the BMO team.

The AI Photo Booth Experience

The centrepiece of the activation was our AI photo booth, configured with custom BMO-branded templates and AI filters that transformed guests into “the future of banking.” Each guest stepped up, posed, and within seconds received an AI-generated image placing them inside a futuristic BMO branch environment complete with holographic displays, growth charts, and next-generation banking technology.

The outputs were genuinely impressive. Guests saw themselves as financial advisors, tech innovators, and banking leaders of the future, all wrapped in BMO’s brand identity with the grand opening details, branch address, and event date prominently featured on every piece of content.

We also ran a set of fun, high-energy filters alongside the “future of banking” theme. These gave guests variety and a reason to come back for multiple rounds. Some guests participated three or four times to try every filter. Every interaction captured their contact data. Every output carried BMO’s branding.

Professional Team Headshots

Between guest activations, we ran a dedicated studio portrait session for the BMO branch team. Professional lighting. Clean background. Consistent styling across every team member.

The headshots were delivered to BMO formatted for their website, internal directories, and LinkedIn profiles. The entire team got polished, professional portraits without booking a separate photographer, scheduling a separate session, or leaving the branch. We handled it all within the same event window.

Full Event Coverage

Our roaming photography team captured the full event: the ribbon-cutting, guest interactions, community moments, and behind-the-scenes energy. Alongside the stills, we produced event videography that BMO can use for social media, internal communications, and marketing.

Three service lines running simultaneously at one event. One team managing all of it. The BMO event coordinators focused on hosting their community. We focused on capturing everything.

The Results

Guest engagement: The AI photo booth drew consistent traffic throughout the event. Guests lined up to see themselves transformed. Many came back for additional sessions with different filters. The activation created a visible energy in the space that drew foot traffic from the surrounding plaza.

Branded content: Every AI-generated image carried BMO’s grand opening branding, including the branch address, event date, and BMO logo. Guests shared these to personal social channels, extending BMO’s reach into the Riverside South community organically.

Team assets: The branch team received professional headshots ready for immediate use across BMO’s digital properties. No separate booking. No separate budget line. Handled within the same activation.

Event documentation: Full photo and video coverage delivered to BMO’s marketing team for ongoing use across channels.

Why This Format Works for Grand Openings

A grand opening has a unique challenge: you need to attract community attention, create a positive first impression, and produce marketing assets, all in a single event window. Most companies book three separate vendors for those three goals. BMO booked one.

The AI photo booth handled community engagement and lead capture. The studio portraits handled team assets. The roaming coverage handled documentation. All coordinated, all branded, all delivered by a single team that understood the full brief.

For brands opening new locations across Ottawa, Riverside South, Barrhaven, Kanata, Orleans, or Nepean, this multi-service format eliminates vendor coordination and ensures consistent quality across every deliverable.

Planning a Grand Opening or Brand Event?

If you’re launching a new location, hosting a community event, or activating a brand moment in Ottawa, we’ll design an activation that covers everything: guest engagement, team assets, and full event coverage. One partner. One brief. Everything handled.

Request a Proposal and tell us about your event. We’ll build a custom package that matches your goals.