Party Like It's Y2K: Inside Motorola's Mind-Bending Launch Event with Cirque du Soleil

A launch event for the Motorola Razr+ proved guests will always love a bit of IRL whimsy, even when celebrating the latest in tech.

Shannon Thaler

On June 1, Motorola tapped Cirque du Soleil to create a custom 20-minute performance where the tech company's new Razr+ was unveiled.

Photo: Courtesy of Mirrored Media

BROOKLYN, N.Y.—Five hundred techy, trendy tastemakers descended on Brooklyn's Weylin on June 1, as the bank-turned-event-venue hosted the global debut of the Motorola Razr+. The 12,000-square-foot venue was a mind-bending playground, with two stages, an LED backdrop, and a performance partnership with Cirque du Soleil.

"By bending the rules of gravity and perspective, Cirque du Soleil created an incredible display of human potential, with a blend of acrobatics and technology, weaving a narrative inspired by and featuring the creation of the Razr+," explained Justin Lefkovitch, the chief executive at Mirrored Media, the California-based firm behind the event.

The event took place on June 1. Mirrored Media's Justin Lefkovitch described the event as "one of the coolest tech launches I've seen and gotten to be a part of."Photo: Courtesy of Mirrored Media

The circus performance featured aerialists, acrobats, and contortionists that bent and flipped just like Motorola's latest flip phone, and it was during the 20-minute show that the new Razr+ was unveiled. After performers took their final bow, guests were guided into Weylin's oculus dome space when a theater curtain dramatically opened, and acrobats tumbled into the area.

Here, eventgoers "engaged with Razr+ devices displayed on custom-fabricated plinths mirroring the unique colors and shapes of the foldable phones," Lefkovitch said. There were also multiple curated photo moments to explore, "with each room matching the colors of the device: Infinite Black, Glacier Blue, and Viva Magenta, the 2023 Pantone Color of the Year," the event boss added.

Photo moments highlighted the four colors in which the flip phone is available, including a pink color for the first time since the early 2000s. The rosy shade, called Viva Magenta, is also the 2023 Pantone Color of the Year.

Photo: Bryan Bedder/Getty Images for Motorola

Cirque du Soleil performers folded and flipped, just like the Razr+ phone.

Photo: Bryan Bedder/Getty Images for Motorola

In a move that lent itself to the whimsy of the evening, pour-over cocktails dominated the cocktail list, which touted the event's hashtag, #FlipTheScript, and fittingly encouraged guests to take out their smartphones and post to their social media accounts. In yet another thoughtful event decision, the phone-inspired drinks were colored pink in a nod to Motorola bringing back a beloved rosy color to its product for the first time since the early 2000s.

Grammy Award-winning singer Kim Petras ended the night with a Motorola-infused performance that also celebrated Y2K—the era known for flip phones, first-generation internet, and low-rise, bedazzled denim.

Pour-over cocktails lent themselves to the whimsy of the evening.

Photo: Courtesy of Mirrored Media

Lefkovitch described the event as "one of the coolest tech launches I've seen and gotten to be a part of" that "challenged the norm [and] flipped the script" on what it means to celebrate technology.

Kim Petras celebrated Y2K fashion with an intimate performance that ended the night.Photo:

Bryan Bedder/Getty Images for Motorola

Motorola's Razr+ officially launched on June 23 for $999.

Photo: Courtesy of Mirrored Media

The mind-bending moments took place at Weylin in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. The venue boasts an oculus dome space and 12,000 square feet.

Photo: Courtesy of Mirrored Media

A pink cocktail nodded to the Viva Magenta hue the Razr+ is available in.

Photo: Courtesy of Mirrored Media