An AI Photo Booth for a Good Cause: The AI Magic Mirror X at Aufsteirern in Graz
During Aufsteirern, downtown Graz turns into one big traditional-costume festival for three days. Right in the middle of it stood a wooden barn belonging to Steiermärkische Sparkasse – and inside it, our AI Magic Mirror X. Guests bought a photo voucher, stepped in front of the mirror, chose one of four AI motifs and took their print home. The entire proceeds from the booth went to "Die Krone hilft."
A barn in the middle of downtown
The Sparkasse barn wasn't a trade show booth but a real wooden hut with a gabled roof, set up right on the cobblestones between the shops. Open at the front, a dark floor inside, rows of benches, umbrellas and people in dirndls and lederhosen all around.
For a device, a hut like that is more comfortable than it looks: covered, shady, and with a clear line of sight from the street inside. What it doesn't offer is space. That's why the mirror stood against the side wall – 202 centimeters tall, 75 wide and only 27 deep. This exact form factor is why the Magic Mirror X comes along in situations like this, rather than a device with an enclosure.
Four AI motifs instead of one background
Four experiences were booked, meaning four prepared AI motifs that guests could choose from on the touchscreen. All four were tailored to Styria:
The piggy bank. Two people ride an oversized pink piggy bank racing across an alpine meadow, cows in the background, dirt flying. The most obvious bank motif of the set – and by far the most frequently chosen.
The summer toboggan run. Guests in the car of a run winding through vineyards, hands in the air. Styrian scenery without anyone having to drive there.
The grape vat. Two people stomping grapes barefoot, all in sepia with a historic farmyard background. The motif that surprised people the most, because it doesn't look like a filter but like an old photograph.
The clock tower. One person hangs from the hand of the Graz clock tower, the old town below. The local motif where every Graz native instantly knows where they are.
Every motif carried the campaign claim and the Steiermärkische Sparkasse logo, plus a QR code for the digital version. Prints were in portrait format – photographed in hand, a print like that looks like a poster, not a photo strip.
Why a mirror and not an enclosure
The AI photo mirror works differently from a classic photo booth: guests see themselves full-length, tap directly on the mirror surface and receive their fully transformed image 20 to 30 seconds after the shot. Inside the housing is a Canon DSLR with two flashes, which is why the shots work even with the harsh switch between the bright street and the dark interior of the barn.
One point is non-negotiable with AI devices: they need internet. No connection, no transformation. At a festival with tens of thousands of visitors, mobile coverage is not a given, so we bring our own network.
The photo voucher as a donation mechanism
The most interesting thing about this event wasn't the technology but the mechanism in front of it. Guests didn't simply get the photo for free; they bought a voucher at the booth. Steiermärkische Sparkasse customers received a second photo free of charge. The entire proceeds from the booth were donated to "Die Krone hilft."
This small hurdle changes a surprising amount. Someone who has paid doesn't drop by at random but with intent – and usually not alone. At the same time, the amount is low enough that nobody thinks twice, and the charitable purpose takes the commercial edge off. For the bank, the result is a brand presence that needs no explanation: you stand at the booth, take a photo, do some good.
For the operation, that means the station has to be countable. One voucher per photo, redeemed at the device – so at the end of the day, everyone knows how much was raised.
The big TV as an amplifier
Next to the mirror, a large screen ran a slideshow of the day's images. That's the part that's easy to underestimate. A device on its own attracts the attention of people who are already looking. A screen with funny pictures of strangers attracts the people who are just walking past.
And it explains the offer without words: anyone who looks at the slideshow for two seconds understands what's happening here, which motifs there are and what the result looks like. You don't need a sign for that – although there was one too.
What we take away from Aufsteirern
Three things carried this event. First, the motifs: they weren't generic but Styrian – alpine meadow, vineyard, clock tower. A guest immediately recognizes that someone put thought into it. Second, the donation mechanism, which turns a free service into a decision. And third, the second screen, which extends the station's reach beyond the line.
Technically, it was an unremarkable event – and at a three-day street festival, that's exactly the goal.
An AI photo station for your activation
Planning an activation at a city festival, a trade show or a branch opening and want motifs that fit your region or your brand? Tell us the date, the space and what it should be about – we'll develop the AI motifs in advance and show you sample images before the device heads to the event. The mirror comes in three sizes; if a compact free-standing unit fits better, the AI Photo Booth is the alternative, and for classic instant prints without AI there's the Photo Booth Classic. You'll find all AI devices in the AI Line. We work all across Austria.
