SHOOT FROM THE HIP

As autumn took hold of New York these past few weeks, a concept within a Concept brought the spirit of Paris to the streets of Manhattan. The Gap White Space Concept Store underwent a transformation once again. This time, the A Squared Group team was charged with recreating the magic of Merci – a Parisian concept shop – in Gap’s White Space, for consumers on this side of the Atlantic.

As always, the White Space provided us a perfect blank canvas with which to play.

The Merci boutique may be unfamiliar to those who haven’t ventured to France within the past six months and au courante on all international fashion and design trends. That makes it even more exciting for us to be able to help introduce Merci in the United States. It is an eclectic mix of haute discoveries, vintage pieces and a melange of items in between. It is a vibrant, unpretentious shop with an artistic vibe – a great match with Gap’s aesthetic.

We captured that spirit, with all its whimsy and great attention to detail, to produce a memorable experience for visitors to the Gap Concept Store.

Consumers who enter the Merci Gap shop would never guess that only days before Anna Wintour and the denizens of New York’s Fashion Week celebrated its opening, a denim-themed story highlighting Gap’s Born to Fit campaign lived in the space. Or that, just weeks earlier, we had built a yoga studio environment and brought in yoga gurus to teach classes. As with those that came before, the Merci experience was fleeting. We are already at work to transform the Gap Concept Store into a new incarnation. Stop by 54th and 5th when next you’re in the city, to see the latest developments.

Pop-up stores are a fantastic way to launch or reinvigorate a brand. When executed correctly, they capture the essence of the brand in a concentrated way. Their impermanent nature creates excitement. They provide consumers an intimate and unique interaction with the brand. What happens, however, when a well-known brand wants to completely shift how consumers see it? Does the pop-up shop work for that, too? The answer is an emphatic YES. The new 1969 Pop-Up, which A Squared Group created for Gap, Inc., is a perfect example of the transformative, buzz-creating, and sales-generating power of a well-crafted pop-up experience.

Gap, Inc. has been known for its denim since the company’s inception in 1969. In the past few years, however, a new wave of “premium denim” has taken the fashion world by storm. Gap sees an opportunity to compete with the Rock & Republics and True Religions with its newly redesigned 1969 Premium Denim, but needs to shatter consumer assumptions that a) premium denim needs to cost a premium, and b) Gap isn’t premium. A Squared Group has stepped in to address the challenge.

The 1969 Pop-Up is designed to generate a visitor experience for consumers that transports them into the world of high-end fashion while highlighting the core principles of simplicity, quality and straight-forwardness for which Gap is known. The keys to the 1969 Pop-Up’s success, and to the success of any pop-up, are location, decor, clarity of branding and inspired dashes of fun and surprise. With these elements in place, the consumer experience can be magical.

We built 1969 on Robertson Blvd., directly across from The Ivy. This is a high-end fashion nexus and center for celebrity fashionistas. It is the “must shop” strip of boutiques for anyone seeking premium clothes.

We created a striking, clean and simple space. It is all about the denim. Gap branding has been kept to a minimum; initial consumer impressions are based solely on the product. Visitors to the store are drawn in by the decor’s subtlety, embrace the premium denim ambiance, interact with the quality product, and feel they’ve uncovered a secret when they discover that their new favorite fashion finds are Gap. The visitor experience is utterly unique.

Consumers have flocked to 1969. The buzz is fantastic. And sales are phenomenal. It has been such a success, in fact, that Gap, Inc. and A Squared Group are looking into ways to extend the experience.

1969 has most definitely popped!

Pop-up brand experiences are an invaluable opportunity to connect with consumers and build a meaningful connection.  A unique, interactive experience where people taste, feel and breathe the brand in a 360° experience, TRENDWATCHING.COM has recognized temporary pop-up brand experiences as a trend being executed all over the world.  

Part classroom, part library, part gallery and part retail space, the design of a pop-up represents the juxtaposition of the brand through design, fragrance, knowledgeable staff and product display.  No matter the detail, each element is about expressing the brand.

An inviting and easy-to-navigate environment focusing less on an obvious sales approach and more on conveying the brand in a way that resonates with consumers is important to remember.  Done correctly, pop-up brand experiences are an outstanding way to generate both brand awareness and revenue.  A well organized pop-up retail event can quickly draw a crowd and generate lasting publicity for a brand and its products.  A poorly executed event with staff who aren’t knowledgeable about products or a design aesthetic that doesn’t represent the brand can do more damage than good for a brand.  It can even cause consumers to stop buying products and supporting the brand.

For an example of a pop-up brand experience, click here to read about the method pop-up shops that A2G produced throughout 2008.

A Squared Group is heading to Chicago for the fourth leg of method’s Detox Your Home campaign this month. Method’s goal: to get everyone in Chicago to stop using the nasty, dirty, toxic stuff to clean their homes. It’s not an easy job, but after Seattle, Boston and New York we think we’re up to the challenge!

We’re reaching out to the Chicago market with an ultra hip pop-up shop in Lincoln Park. Open to the public daily from 11am-8pm, the shop features method’s best selling favorites as well as some new faces in their product line. In addition to selling home products, the space contains a cleaning confessional photo booth, interactive scent station, hand-soap sample bar and green educational materials.

To encourage the use of non-toxic cleaners, the temporary store has been designated a toxic household chemical drop off site. Just collect any of the nasty stuff from under your sink and bring it by the store. We’ll dispose of it responsibly and give you a free product for your good deed (while supplies last).

The chic shop is also the location of very special invitation-only VIP parties throughout the month. The parties will feature a range of green lifestyle programming like The Liquid Muse’s, Sustainable Sips cocktail class, Eco-Crafting with Danny Seo and Green Beauty demonstrations by Gorgeously Green author, Sophie Uliano.

Store Location:

2054 N. Halsted St.

Chicago, IL 60614

September 15 – October 12, 2008

11am-8pm daily