BREAKING A SWEAT FOR A HILLSIDE BRAND ACTIVATION

BRAND ACTIVATION | POP-UP EXPERIENCE

With more than 250 stores in the United States and Canada, The Gap-owned Athleta is an industry leader in women’s activewear and sustainable apparel.

With a desire to create deeper connections with consumers in key markets, the Athleta marketing team approached Studio Butch to help launch a series of experiential, in-person brand activations, called Find Your Movement, slated for cities across the US.

ATHLETA’S WEST COAST CUSTOMER AND INFLUENCER BASE WERE INVITED TO “SWEAT, CONNECT, AND EMBRACE THE POWER OF SHE”

With the success of the first Find Your Movement activation in New York City, we were charged to move our collaboration westward, designing a larger-scale installment in Los Angeles. 

Taking place on a terraced hillside in Bel Air, created a dramatic backdrop for the sprawling weekend event. Athleta’s West Coast customer and influencer base were invited to “sweat, connect, and embrace the power of she,” while building affinity and awareness for the brand.

The expansive site pushed our team to carefully consider and map the consumer journey and multi-station layout, to maximize each individual’s experience as they rotated through the various activities.

Built elements were designed to reflect Athleta’s new brand palette and create a sense of smaller, individual spaces across the open fields. This approach also meant that each area provided ample opportunities for guest-created content.

A branded entryway arch fitted with large-scale floral installations greeted the guests as they first arrived.

Stand-out elements included the light blue, regulation-sized pickle ball court we designed, complete with branded paddles and accessories. The adjacent station was a multi-bag boxing ring with custom gloves–also leveraging Atheta’s striking blues.

For breaks between sessions, we designed the “Bel-Bar” refreshment station (named for Bel Air) with custom kiosks, carts and cafe seating, where participants were served branded water, juices, and snacks. A rejuvenation station also offered massages and cold plunge tanks.

Further driving connection between the experience and Athleta’s apparel business, attendees were able to shop collections being worn by live models, by scanning QR codes, and by browsing the shoppable retail area. To truly make the pieces one of a kind, a customization station allowed attendees to have their purchases embroidered while they waited.

This ambitious second installment of the Find Your Movement series was a smash hit with thousands in attendance over two days, and with a deluge of unpaid social content creation further boosted the reach of the activation.

ELEMENTS WERE DESIGNED TO REFLECT ATHLETA’S NEW BRAND PALETTE AND CREATE A SENSE OF SMALLER, INDIVIDUAL SPACES

AT-A-GLANCE

CLIENT: Athleta

TYPE: Brand Activation, Pop-up Experience

LOCATION: Los Angeles, CA

ACTUALIZATION: Two-day outdoor brand activation with multiple workout stations on a hillside overlooking Los Angeles

PARTNERS: XA

OUR ROLE:

• Zoning + Merchandising

• Consumer Experience + Journey

• Graphic Design

• Brand Activations + Pop-ups

• Space Design + Concepts

• Brand Moments + Art Installations

• Materials Palettes + Design Direction

• Floor Plans + Elevations

• Conceptual Sketches + 3D Renderings

• Installation Oversight

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