I recently heard about  an interesting initiative by the French railway company SNCF. To celebrate its new high-speed line direct from Lyons to Brussels, SNCF recently set up a giant cube to introduce the citizens of Lyons to Belgium’s capital through virtual means.

SNCF’s new high-speed line links Lyons and Brussels directly in just 3 hours and 20 minutes. To celebrate the launch of the new service, SNCF in late September set up a giant white cube in Lyons’ Place de la République. “Put your head here” beckoned a round opening in the cube; when someone looked into the opening, their face was projected via live video feed onto a screen in Brussels. There, the mayor and townspeople of Brussels asked the person their name and welcomed them with a song.