Marius Rieg is an entrepreneur based in Karlsruhe, Germany. He is co-founder and managing partner of the Pforzheim-based experience design agency Luftschloss and managing partner of Gieske Studios. His focus areas are AI, CGI, content production, custom software, and experience design.

Luftschloss is an experience design agency in Pforzheim that Marius Rieg co-founded in January 2024. It builds interactive installations combining AI, CGI, realtime rendering, LED, and sensor technology – known for PZ Nova, the media facade for the Pforzheimer Zeitung newspaper that won the German Customer Award 2026.

What is Gieske Studios?

Gieske Studios is a production studio in Pforzheim – advertising photography, film, CGI, and interactive product presentations for brands like Hansgrohe, WMF, Schüller, and next125. Marius Rieg has worked there since 2009 and has been managing partner since 2018.

Kampart was a digital communications agency in Stuttgart that Marius Rieg co-founded in 2022; it operated until 2026. Its focus was brand development, high-end campaigns, media production, and website, app, and software development – for clients including Hansgrohe and Otto/Leger Home.

What awards has Marius Rieg won?

With Luftschloss and the PZ Nova project – the interactive media facade for the Pforzheimer Zeitung newspaper – Marius Rieg won the German Customer Award 2026.

How can I contact Marius Rieg?

The easiest way is by email to marius.rieg@luftschloss-agency.de or via LinkedIn. Project inquiries go to info@luftschloss-agency.de (Luftschloss) and hello@gieskestudios.de (Gieske Studios).

Blog

Notes from practice.

Articles on AI, CGI, entrepreneurship, marketing, and experience design – written from daily work at Luftschloss and Gieske Studios.

Interactive Installations · November 2, 2026

One Event After Another: How Luftschloss's AI Portal Became a Product

Salone del Mobile in Milan, EXPO REAL in Munich, Werder Bremen, a DJ event by the Ludwigsburg-Kornwestheim municipal utilities – and in November FC Bayern and electronica. A look back at the past months of the AI Portal and why it's no longer booked only for individual events.

4 min read

Marketing · November 1, 2026

Design Choice or Shortcut? What the AI Posters for Züri-Wiesn Reveal About Credibility

At Zurich's main station, the Züri-Wiesn Oktoberfest advertises with AI-generated people in traditional costume, even though real imagery was available. The agency calls it an aesthetic statement; passers-by call it cheap and lifeless. An assessment for anyone who commissions or produces images.

3 min read

Entrepreneurship · October 29, 2026

Reach Is Not a Business Model: What Character.AI's Bankruptcy and Disney's $20 Million Bid Reveal About AI Products

In mid-October 2026, Character.AI filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. Disney is bidding $20 million for a non-exclusive, perpetual license to parts of the technology and certain claims. A sober look at what this means for studios, brands, and founders beyond the headline.

3 min read

Technology · October 22, 2026

Speed Is Copyable, Provenance Isn't: What Adobe and NVIDIA Reveal About the Future of Image Production

On October 15, 2026, Adobe and NVIDIA expanded their partnership on agentic creative workflows – Photoshop, Premiere, and Substance 3D run faster, Frame.io searches quicker. An analyst commentary pushes back: speed can be copied, the real edge lies in rights safety and traceability. What that means for studios.

2 min read

Behind the Scenes · September 28, 2026

100 Years of Weserstadion: A Legends Match, a Clear Stance – and Our Portal in the Floodlight Lounge

On September 26, 2026, Werder Bremen celebrated 100 years of the Weserstadion with a legends match against Real Madrid – 4:3, a staged power outage, schnapps on the pitch, and a celebration that didn't gloss over the club's Nazi-era history. Also there: our interactive AI portal in the Floodlight Lounge.

3 min read

Marketing · September 21, 2026

From September 27, the Image Counts Too: What the EmpCo Directive Means for Art Direction

From September 27, 2026, the EmpCo directive applies bindingly in Germany, with no transition period – terms like "climate-neutral" will need a recognized seal. One detail usually gets missed: trees, leaves, or green symbols paired with a logo or text can count as an environmental claim too. What that means in practice for image production and art direction.

3 min read

Marketing · September 14, 2026

Why Meta Sometimes Puts an AI Label Right Next to 'Sponsored' – and Otherwise Hides It

Meta expanded its ad transparency on June 1, 2026 – an AI label for most generated content only shows up in the three-dot menu. For an AI-generated, photorealistic person, though, it sits right next to the Sponsored tag. What that one placement decision reveals about Meta's own risk assessment.

2 min read

Entrepreneurship · September 7, 2026

Omnicom Gives Up the Name DDB – and Shows What Independent Agencies Should Stand For Now

The $13 billion merger of Omnicom and Interpublic Group is the largest consolidation the advertising industry has ever seen – and it costs one of the world's best-known agency brands its name. A perspective on why that specific act of giving something up shows exactly what independent studios should focus on now.

2 min read

Experience Design · September 4, 2026

Why a Robot Runway at IFA Is More Honest Than BMW's Engine-Start Advertising

As IFA 2026 opens in Berlin, "Robots on the Runway" sends humanoid robots down a catwalk – pure spectacle. Unlike the ad staging inside the BMW cabin last week, though, the format here isn't a costume, it's the actual proof. A perspective on when staging demonstrates substance – and when it only fakes it.

3 min read

CGI · September 2, 2026

Over 90 Percent Refuse, AI Gets Used More Anyway: What the DGPh 2026 Survey Leaves Open

The eighth wave of Germany's image market survey shows a widening divide – media want to use more and more AI-generated images, while over 90 percent of photographers and image agencies refuse to supply their work for AI training. The study doesn't answer where the training data comes from instead. An honest look at that gap.

2 min read

Experience Design · August 28, 2026

BMW Advertised With Light, Music, and Timing – and That's Exactly Why It Cost Trust

From July 27 to August 10, 2026, BMW ran a Spider-Man ad on millions of iDrive displays at engine start, staged with film music and an interior light installation – the same tools experience design normally uses to build trust. Why that's exactly why it broke trust instead, not the advertising itself.

3 min read

Entrepreneurship · August 27, 2026

Work Without an Audience: What Background AI Agents Actually Need to Be Trustworthy

Since August 18, Anthropic's Claude Cowork also runs on mobile and web, with background and scheduled tasks – the AI works while nobody's watching. A perspective from my own practice on why that shouldn't be an advance of trust, but a demand for documentation.

2 min read

Content Production · August 26, 2026

GEMA Beats Suno: What the 'Memorization' Ruling Actually Means for Campaign Music

On July 31, 2026, Munich's district court ruled that Suno infringes copyright on six well-known songs – "Atemlos durch die Nacht" and "Mambo No. 5" among them. Not a blanket ban on AI music, but a precise standard called "memorization." What that actually means for using Suno or Udio in ad jingles.

3 min read

CGI · August 25, 2026

Why a CGI Car Never Needed an AI Label – and What That Reveals About Article 50

Car advertising has run on renderings of vehicles that don't exist yet for over a decade – built purely from CAD data, photorealistic, never treated as a transparency problem. Since August, AI-generated images have to be labeled. A perspective on where the line actually sits, and where it starts to blur in real production work.

3 min read

Marketing · August 24, 2026

It's Not the AI, It's the Suspicion of Influence: What the Ipsos Numbers on Advertising Show

According to the Ipsos AI Monitor 2026, more than half of Germans would trust generative AI results less once advertising influences them – while opinions on general brand content are split almost evenly. A perspective on why that number pinpoints the actual concern more precisely than blanket AI skepticism.

2 min read

CGI · August 21, 2026

From Client to Competitor: What About You's Tayla Means for Photo Studios

About You now sells its in-house AI image production as a B2B service to other fashion brands – with S. Oliver, Betty Barclay, and FC Bayern as named clients, claiming 90 percent lower costs and 95 percent faster turnaround than classic photography. A perspective from the studio side: what's missing from those numbers, and where the real break actually sits.

3 min read

Marketing · August 20, 2026

What the Exclusion List Reveals: ChatGPT Gets Ads, and OpenAI Knows Exactly Where Not To Put Them

Ads launch in the German version of ChatGPT at the end of August – placed below answers, clearly marked "sponsored," but never next to conversations about mental health, self-harm, politics, or weapons. That exclusion list reveals more about the real difference from search advertising than any privacy policy.

3 min read

AI · August 18, 2026

AI Literacy Duty Without a Fine: What Article 4 Actually Requires – and Why That's No Free Pass

Since July 27, 2026, the Digital Omnibus has tightened Article 4 of the AI Act – companies must train staff in AI fundamentals. There's no direct penalty for the training requirement itself. A perspective on why that gap makes the real question bigger, not smaller.

3 min read

CGI · August 15, 2026

When the Better Model Gets Shut Down: What Firefly Image 3 Teaches About AI Tools in Production

Adobe is fully retiring Firefly Image 3 this month – and, notably, many users in its community say the older model handled hair, textures, and unguided retouching better than its successor. What that reveals about the real dependency generative tools bring into professional work.

3 min read

Entrepreneurship · August 14, 2026

352,400 New Registrations, 69,600 With Substance: What Today's Founding Statistics Don't Show

Germany's Federal Statistical Office reports 8.3 percent more business registrations in the first half of 2026 today – and a much smaller figure of "larger businesses" growing just 3.0 percent. A perspective from my own experience: one founding and one closure, in the same period, in the same statistic.

3 min read

Marketing · August 13, 2026

21 Images, One Spot, Four Hours: What a Solo AI Campaign Actually Shows

An AI specialist produced a complete ad campaign alone – 21 image motifs, a 25-second spot, a handful of AI tools, a few hours, barely any cost. What has substance here, and why the errors that slip through are exactly what keeps agency work relevant.

3 min read

CGI · August 12, 2026

Two Minutes, No Second Take: What Today's Solar Eclipse Teaches About Real Images

On August 12, 2026, a total solar eclipse darkens northern Spain – for just over two minutes, with no repeat. While millions of synthetic corona images will circulate online tonight, the event itself shows what photography is that no simulation can be.

3 min read

Experience Design · August 11, 2026

Retail Media Reaches the Store Floor: What German Retailers Are Building in DOOH

OBI, Edeka, Kaufland, and Lidl are equipping their stores with screens and building their own retail media networks. "Agentic AI" is meant to adapt ad creative to context in real time. A perspective from experience design practice.

3 min read

CGI · August 10, 2026

When Studio Quality Is Built Into Google Ads: A New Reality for Image Production

Google's new image model Nano Banana 2 is now the default in Google Ads, Search, and Gemini - studio-quality 4K images in under six seconds, free for every advertiser. What that concretely changes for CGI and content studios.

3 min read

Technology · August 7, 2026

'Digital Employee': What's True About Agent Language – and What's Marketing

AI agents are being called the big trend of 2026, often sold as a replacement for entire roles. A reality check from practice building actual automations - where agents genuinely take over tasks, and where the language promises more than the system delivers.

3 min read

Marketing · August 5, 2026

The Awards Industry Mocks Itself: What That Reveals About Real Creative Quality

Creative prize Epica is promoting its new entry period with a campaign that openly mocks jury politics and cronyism in the awards circuit. A rare moment of self-criticism - and a good occasion to sharpen your own quality criteria.

3 min read

CGI · August 4, 2026

Flash Sync Without Limits: What Global Shutter Means for Studio Photography

Sony and Nikon are making global shutter sensors standard, with Profoto and Elinchrom following via firmware updates. Why this one piece of sensor technology changes more for product photography than any megapixel race.

3 min read

AI · August 3, 2026

August 2 Has Arrived – and a Misunderstanding About the 'Digital Omnibus' Came With It

The EU pushed back the deadlines for high-risk AI systems by 16 months with the Digital Omnibus. Many are reading that as an all-clear for the entire AI Act. That's a mistake - Article 50 still took effect yesterday regardless.

3 min read

Experience Design · August 2, 2026

Emotion Detection in Installations: The Trend We Deliberately Don't Follow

Biometric sensors and emotion detection are being pitched as the next step for interactive installations. Why we deliberately use depth sensors instead of facial recognition for PZ Nova - and why that's not a technical compromise.

3 min read

CGI · August 1, 2026

Why High-End Surfaces Still Need the Camera

Polished veneer, brushed steel, engraved sapphire glass - for products whose value comes from their surface, AI image generation hits a limit that rarely gets named. A technical look, prompted by a recent interview with the Pforzheimer Zeitung.

3 min read

CGI · July 31, 2026

Six Billion Images, One Case: What the Federal Court Ruling Means for Photographers

Germany's Federal Court of Justice hears a landmark case on September 3, 2026 about AI training on copyrighted photographs. A perspective from a studio that lives off photography itself.

4 min read

Technology · July 30, 2026

Vibe Coding: Why the Security Warnings Are Justified – and What They Miss

Recent studies show massive security gaps in vibe-coded applications. A perspective from actual practice building AI-assisted software - what's true about the criticism, and where the real lever actually sits.

3 min read

Content Production · July 29, 2026

The AI Campaign Film, Between BMW's Nerve and the Coca-Cola Backlash

Image-to-video models make full AI campaign films possible - some major brands experiment with them, others reap backlash. A perspective from practice on when it holds up and when it doesn't.

3 min read

CGI · July 28, 2026

About You Retires Photography: What the Celebrated Case Really Shows

About You is replacing its entire photo studio with AI-generated product images. A critical look at the widely cited numbers, from a studio that has offered photography and CGI side by side for years.

4 min read

CGI · July 27, 2026

The Quiet Cost of AI Images: Why Energy Use Is Becoming a Selection Criterion

AI image generation consumes a multiple of what classic queries do. Why that turns into a genuine decision factor for studios offering CGI and AI content side by side - not out of ideology, but out of calculation.

3 min read

AI · July 26, 2026

Why 95 Percent of AI Projects Fail – and What the Other 5 Percent Do Differently

A widely cited study shows most corporate AI pilots deliver no measurable return. What's actually behind that number - and why it argues for good process work rather than against AI.

3 min read

Content Production · July 25, 2026

AI Sameness: Why Imperfection Is Becoming a Competitive Advantage

The design and content industry is pushing back against the polished uniformity generative AI produces. What this concretely means for CGI, image production, and campaign work.

3 min read

Entrepreneurship · July 24, 2026

Will AI Replace Agencies? A View from Both Sides

The industry is in a heated debate over whether AI is making agencies obsolete. A take from someone who has run both a classic communications agency and an AI-native studio.

3 min read

AI · July 23, 2026

The Quiet Deadline: What the AI Labeling Requirement Means for Content and Campaigns

Starting August 2, 2026, Article 50 of the EU AI Act applies. What companies working with CGI, AI image production, and campaigns need to know now - and why the outrage is partly overblown, partly justified.

4 min read

Content Production · July 22, 2026

From Concept to Campaign Film: How Video Production and Campaign Planning Work Together

Why a campaign film isn't made on set, but in the planning that comes before it - and how we think video production and campaign strategy together at Gieske Studios and Kampart.

3 min read

AI · July 21, 2026

AI Seminars for Companies: Knowledge That Changes Something by Monday

Why our new AI seminars at Luftschloss are built around real workflows instead of theory - and how curious employees become internal AI go-to people.

2 min read

Experience Design · July 21, 2026

Welcome to Luftschloss: Where Technology and Creativity Merge

What Luftschloss does, and why we treat CGI, interactive technology, and creative design not as separate disciplines but as a single craft.

3 min read

Entrepreneurship · July 20, 2026

From Photography to Digital Transformation

Marius Rieg on his path from advertising photography through Gieske Studios and Luftschloss to the upcoming launch of Kampart – and a call for more courage in German digital policy.

4 min read

Interactive Installations · July 19, 2026

From Gieske to Luftschloss: A Journey Through Immersive Interaction

A personal reflection on how a single question at Gieske Studios – what if we did away with the VR headset entirely? – grew into a mature motion-tracking technology at Luftschloss.

3 min read

CGI · July 18, 2026

The Art of the Digital Dream: Inside Our CGI Production and Animation Department

How we produce photorealistic CGI imagery, exclusive animations, and large-scale visualizations at Luftschloss – and why photorealism is only where it starts.

3 min read

Experience Design · July 16, 2026

The Quiet Revolution of DOOH: from Surfaces to Experiences

How digital out-of-home advertising (DOOH) is evolving into immersive, AI-driven brand experiences – and how we build that experience engine at Luftschloss.

3 min read

Interactive Installations · July 16, 2026

From Gieske Studios to Luftschloss: Interaction Without a VR Headset

How a motion-tracking experiment at Gieske Studios grew into a standalone technology at Luftschloss – from the first idea to projects for Duravit and the Pforzheimer Zeitung newspaper.

2 min read

Marketing · July 16, 2026

The Most Expensive Cost-Cutting Move Many Companies Are Making Right Now Is Their Marketing

Why cutting marketing budgets saves money at first glance, costs visibility on the second, and costs trust on the third – with data on budgets, AI content, and brand trust.

5 min read

Entrepreneurship · July 15, 2026

From Idea to Spin-Off: the Story of Our CGI Department and the Founding of Luftschloss

How a small CGI department started at Gieske Studios in 2015, grew through a self-built real-time motion-tracking software, and was spun off as the independent agency Luftschloss in 2024.

2 min read

Technology · July 14, 2026

CodeBase: Our Internal Starting Point for Tools, Ideas, and Systems

How we built CodeBase at Luftschloss, a central internal tool index – instead of hunting for links across chats, bookmarks, and scattered Vercel projects.

3 min read

Entrepreneurship · July 10, 2026

Gieske Studios Through Changing Times

A look back at three decades of Gieske Studios – from a photo studio for advertising catalogs to a media house whose transformation eventually led to two independent spin-offs.

3 min read

Interactive Installations · July 9, 2026

The Portal: How an AI Photo Screen Turns Visitors into Brand Ambassadors

How Luftschloss's Portal works – an interactive AI screen that turns visitors into part of a brand world within seconds. Flow, modules, and use cases.

3 min read

Content Production · July 9, 2026

How Gieske Studios Supports Mail-Order Retailers and Furniture Makers with Product Presentation

Advertising photography, brand film, and CGI visualization for mail-order retailers, furniture, and home textile makers – how Gieske Studios solves the industry's requirements.

2 min read

AI · July 3, 2026

Why I Built My Own CRM Instead of Buying One

How a personal outreach CRM came together with Claude Code – from automatic email parsing to newsletter sending to sharing it with colleagues, entirely without the cloud.

3 min read

Behind the Scenes · June 28, 2026

Behind the Scenes: How an Interactive Media Facade Comes Together

From idea to award-winning installation – how PZ Nova came to be, what technology is behind it, and what we learned building a media facade.

2 min read

AI · June 15, 2026

How AI Is Changing Content Production – A View from Practice

What generative AI actually delivers in professional content production today, where its limits are, and how studios use it sensibly.

2 min read

Technology · May 30, 2026

Building Custom Software with AI – Why the Math Has Changed

How AI tools like Claude Code and Codex are changing custom software development, and when custom software now pays off for mid-sized companies.

5 min read

CGI · May 20, 2026

CGI or Photography? The Right Technique for Product Images

When computer-generated images (CGI) pay off for product presentation, when classic photography is superior – and why the answer is usually "both."

3 min read

AI · April 25, 2026

AI at Work: Where to Actually Start

AI consulting from practice – why companies should start with processes, not tools, and how a pilot project turns into real value.

2 min read

Entrepreneurship · April 10, 2026

From Photo Assistant to Entrepreneur – What I Learned in 17 Years

Marius Rieg on his path from an internship in a photo studio to running Gieske Studios and founding the agency Luftschloss.

3 min read

Marketing · March 18, 2026

What Sets High-End Campaigns Apart from Good Campaigns

Lessons from campaigns for brands like Hansgrohe and Otto – why consistency matters more than creativity, and why visual language is the underrated foundation of every brand.

3 min read

Interactive Installations · March 5, 2026

Interactive Product Presentation – When Customers Experience Products Instead of Just Viewing Them

What interactive product presentations and installations deliver, how they work technically, and why they're changing trade shows, showrooms, and online shops.

4 min read

Experience Design · February 10, 2026

Experience Design: Why Spaces Make Better Interfaces

What experience design means, why physical spaces beat digital screens, and which principles make interactive installations succeed.

4 min read

Entrepreneurship · December 19, 2025

30 Years of Gieske Studios: From Photo Studio to Creative Media House

A retrospective on Gieske Studios' 30th anniversary – from analog slide film through digital transformation to CGI, film, and interactive applications.

2 min read

Behind the Scenes · March 27, 2025

Whoever Stands Still Loses: the Luftschloss Launch Event

A look back at the public launch event of Luftschloss on March 27, 2025 at the Alte Pferdeklinik in Pforzheim – with AI music visualization and twelve interactive installations.

2 min read