Batteries Not Included

Launched at the National Football Museum in 2023, Batteries Not Included explores the history and development of football toys and games, their remarkable influence on our lives and understanding of the beautiful game. The exhibition takes visitors on an immersive journey, from the Victorian era through to the latest cutting-edge virtual reality (VR) technology, reflecting the cultural influences of each decade and how play technology is now adopted across the professional game. 

Best of all, visitors of all ages can get hands-on with a range of football toys and games, taking you on an exciting exploration of play between the real and virtual worlds. Batteries Not Included features no fewer than 17 interactive games and exhibits, including updated takes on classic pastimes, a broad range of arcade video games – and, of course, Subbuteo.

The exhibition concept was built around the idea of packaging and boxes, with freestanding display structures designed to mimic the folds and flaps of cardboard boxes and game boards. Visitors can walk through oversized boxes and immerse themselves in the world of games, with unexpected packaging Easter eggs hidden throughout.

The exhibition takes visitors on an immersive journey, from the Victorian era through to the latest cutting-edge virtual reality (VR) technology. The look and feel of the exhibition zones are heavily influenced by the eras depicted to create a sense of moving through time, including a 1960s-inspired living room and a 1980s bedroom complete with beanbags and a playable Commodore 64.

Above all the exhibition is entirely playable with 17 interactive games and exhibits including nine custom designed activities developed and produced by Instruct and 24 Design. Some of these are oversized version of historic objects such as the cube matching outfit game which originated in the Victorian era and a playable version of the game Footer, the original version of which is too delicate to be played.

Alongside the playable games, we developed a “Top Trumps” style interactive to add an additional layer of interpretation without adding lots of text panels to the exhibition.

We developed a marketing campaign for the exhibition including out of home, digital, social and merchandise.