Client
Vans
Location
Europe
Services
Customer journey planning, retail & experience strategy, brand campaigns & activations, phygital integration, prototyping, manufacturing & installation
Brief
Authentic since the very beginning, Classic Since Forever. Vans is back with a new Classics collection for Fall 22. To launch it in retail we created a series of immersive experience zones that take the customer on a journey through five iconic decades of design, music, fashion and pop-culture. Complete with decade-specific playlists and style guides, each era is a nostalgic step back in time that educates customers on the rich history of the Vans brand and its best selling shoe to inspire the next-generation of style.
Flagship experience
Visitors to the Oxford Street store step over the threshold and back in time into an activation space where they can explore each decade from the Sixties through the Aughts. The space even features a corner stage area with the campaign as a backdrop for live in-store music events.
Technology
Designed to generate social buzz around the new collection, the activations integrate QR code technology as part of the customer journey to drive deeper interaction. QR accessible style guides fuse vintage pieces with modern collections, helping customers to discover new ways to incorporate Vans Classics into their everyday look. To tap into the senses, customers are invited to scan QR codes that reveal curated Spotify playlists for each decade, available to listen to in store and to take customers back in time.
“The focus for the Oxford Street experience zone is on the relationship between the brand and music as a creative force. Designing an interactive listening space that demonstrates the history of audio and music consumption, gives an interesting educational interactive display and heightens the immersive experience.”
– Rhianne van Rheede-Toas, Design Director, isin
Flexibility
The concept consists of a collection of 3D walls that can be scaled and tailored for each environment across Europe. Designed for flexibility, each wall is mounted on industrial casters enabling the in-store team to easily rearrange the space for enhanced customer journeys and events.
Boutique experience
Located in the basement of Vans’ Covent Garden Boutique, the activation takes on a gallery-style format with displays showcasing period items from each decade. Here visitors can browse retro items that highlight Vans’ connection with skate, culture and music, alongside artwork taken straight from the brand’s archives.
