Tom Ryan
09 May 2020
Our work in Q1, as it is year round, was guided by our overarching vision: To be the most sought after creative experts, championing what’s next in culture. As we adjust to our new normal and social media gets nostalgic, we thought we’d take a moment to reflect and reminisce on the work we’ve done with inspiring brands to create immersive experiences and engaging content. Read on for our Q1 roundup.
PUMA x SG, Rare Release
Over the past 18 months, our partnership with PUMA has led to some truly legendary moments. After helping launch their New York flagship store, we returned to their 5th Ave location on January 14th to celebrate the release of Rare, Selena Gomez’s first studio album in 4 years. We flipped the standard meet and greet format and added an in-store airbrush customization studio to highlight PUMA’s ongoing design collection with Selena, creating a space for Selena’s passionate fans to interact with their idol and take home one-of-a-kind pieces.
Over the past 18 months, our partnership with PUMA has led to some truly legendary moments. After helping launch their New York flagship store, we returned to their 5th Ave location on January 14th to celebrate the release of Rare, Selena Gomez’s first studio album in 4 years. We flipped the standard meet and greet format and added an in-store airbrush customization studio to highlight PUMA’s ongoing design collection with Selena, creating a space for Selena’s passionate fans to interact with their idol and take home one-of-a-kind pieces.
PUMA, All-Star Weekend
In February, the projects* traveled to Chicago during All-Star Weekend for a series of activations for PUMA, in collaboration with Foot Locker and Champs. We channeled the buzz of ASW and the passion of PUMA over two branded pop-ups that leaned into the intersection of basketball, music and fashion, with additional influencer appearances that drove sales well beyond expectations. All-Star Weekend also offered the time and space to honor the immense talent and hustle that comes from everything surrounding basketball and Chicago. To learn more about what went down during ASW, read the cultural dispatch from our Creative Strategist, Tom Ryan, here.
Our work with PUMA stems from a desire to connect audiences with the world of style and the culture that makes the brand so industry-leading, showing up for the fans that show up for the brand.
Pandora, RunDisney Marathon
Our Pandora partnership continued in February with an activation at the annual Disney Princess Half Marathon. With a grand castle buildout and empowering quotes from Disney icons, we celebrated the accomplishments of runners by placing them at the center of their own princess narratives. Combining the iconic Pandora Pink with Disney Princess aesthetics, we featured Disney-inspired charms in an interactive space, using princess-like display cases to immerse guests in a royal fantasy that resulted in a photogenic shopping experience.
Away, Aspen Chalet
Continuing the winter celebrations in February, the projects* arrived in Aspen to support Away Luggage in the launch of their limited edition Chalet Collection. Drawing from the bold colors and racing stripes of the collection, we created a space filled with color and dynamism. Carrying Away’s modern aesthetic forward and democratizing ski culture, we kept the local community top of mind and used the popup as a programming space, with chalet rituals at the center. As every good party needs some vibes, we brought in a few DJs to set the mood and had an in-store oxygen bar to combat altitude sickness. To add customization to the Chalet Collection pieces, we also partnered with CO-based artist Srujana of Menakshee Designs. We kept food and drinks local, with bespoke cocktails and recipes from Aspen breweries and restaurants. Using the city as a backdrop to tell new brand stories, we created a space that was accessible to everyone and established the roadmap for how Away Luggage shows up in new markets and at experiential pop-ups.
Hotels.com, UEFA Champions League
To reach and connect with Hotels.com’s audiences beyond the 90 minutes of a UEFA Champions League match, we devised the #MatchDayRituals platform, tapping several influencers to interpret the platform in their own way. Through a unique journey and 360º narrative with Hotels.com at the heart, influencers like Caspar Lee and Gaz Oakley showed their pre-game rituals and the full experience of football culture. Our influencer partners gave their audiences exclusive access to the match as they shared their vantage point pitchside, watching as the world’s best players lined up to the famous UCL anthem.
With content that spread over several days and bookended by a stay in a hotel close to the stadium, our partners showcased a variety of Hotels.com properties, sharing their experiences and creating personal connections with their audience through a mutual love of the beautiful game. #MatchDayRituals demonstrated that Hotels.com are more than just your average travel brand — they’re a connected brand, tapping into passion points around the world.
Target, #TargetTalent
As part of our ongoing work with Target, we launched a new approach to influencer partnerships last year: Target Talent. Shifting from short-term transaction-based deals to long-term partnerships with seven diverse content creators, we’ve developed a model based on genuine partnership and deep relationships nurtured through our editorial management style.
Our Target Talent partners, Bobby Berk, Elaine Welteroth, Laura Izumikawa, Lauren Giraldo, Maya Vorderstrasse, Ned Fulmer and Parker Kit Hill, share stories of their everyday lives, creating conversation with their audiences around family moments, celebrations and moments of joy. From Bobby’s heartwarming reveal of his parents’ home makeover to Maya’s new nursery reveal, our Target Talent partners continue to outperform industry averages by delivering genuine, engaging stories that resonate with a broad cross-section of the Target guest profile.
TAG Heuer, Connected Launch
In the waning days of pre-quarantine life, we put on our last experiential moment of Q1, celebrating the launch of TAG Heuer’s newest offering. To reflect the brand’s storied heritage as luxury watchmakers, we unveiled the Connected watch in an immersive experience with content integration in mind, using sculptural and sensory elements that allowed guests to explore the watch’s materials, capabilities and performance. Through a variety of texture, lighting and projections, we created a visual and tactile experience that brought guests further into the world of the brand. Designing the space to be highly photogenic also offered us the opportunity to create an evocative, cinematic translation of the event to extend the conversation beyond the experience itself.