Keeping the world safe for soft drinks

The Japanese attraction "Mission Refreshment" at an amusement attraction run by a major soft drink company with headquarters in Atlanta, a venue described as "a tribute to a unique product and the consumers who have made it the world´s favorite soft drink," is a one-of-a-kind experience. Where else could you drive a bumper car beneath an alien mothership, all the while either avoiding or hitting light beams from Martin MiniMACs and collecting points to make the world safe for soft drinks?

Opened on Oct 6, 2000 in trendy Odaiba, Japan, the amusement venue is located in the Sony "Mediage" building, part of a new upscale entertainment / shopping complex situated across the Rainbow Bridge from downtown Tokyo.

The ride is explained thus: Aliens have reportedly been using intense beams of light to steal the world´s supply of a particular soft drink. Guests are recruited to help fend off the aliens and are whisked away to their “ride vehicles” to defend the soft drink. Guests, whose eyes and ears are being bombarded with a virtual barrage of audio and lighting effects, must maneuver their vehicles beneath the alien mother ship, collecting points as they go. At the conclusion of the game, the aliens admit defeat and promptly suggest that there is enough of the soft drink for everyone.

The primary game lighting is provided by a combination of two dozen Martin MiniMAC Profiles and MiniMAC Washes which change positions a minimum of once every eight seconds throughout the four-minute game, with some fixtures moving much more frequently. Between games, the MiniMACs, along with 4 LE Mini-Strips, provide the ride’s stylized entrance and exit illumination.

The atmosphere is enhanced by the use of two smoke machines, which help emphasize the “tractor-beam” like appearance of the MiniMACs’ output.

Company MY Design , Inc created the concept and coordinated the various elements of the ride “Mission Refreshment” that forms the foundation of the attraction. MY Design designed the interior spaces for both venues as well as audio, lighting and show control design, programming and integration for the attraction. Lighting design was completed by MYDesign’s Scott Preston.