VANS: Make it Special

Task

The Van's Europe-wide campaign ‘Make it Special’ aimed to spread some much needed joy over the 2020 holiday season - Platform13 were tasked to activate both the flagship Oxford Street store and Covent Garden Boutique store.

Approach

In 2020, the holiday season in Central London was going to be like none before. The pandemic meant that not only would there be less people out, but that any activations needed to be more considered to respond to these barriers to touch.

We created a hybrid experience, incorporating physical and digital retail activations - for those wanted to shop in real life, as well as for those who didn't, ensuring health and safety were top of mind.

Output

For those tackling gift-buying in real life, we produced Covid-safe gift wrapping stations in both the Oxford St and Covent Garden stores, where wrapping experts used a variety of sustainable materials- fabric wrapping to branded recycled paper to repurposed Vans waffle sole gift tags.

Customers could also scan a QR code that directed to a Vans 'Make it Special' Instagram face filter, created with Sifagul, so they could take a selfie then have it printed onto a sticker right there and then to add to your Vans card or take home.

For those who wanted to create gifts at home, we held online workshops with some of our fave makers: How to repurpose household objects to create candles with Nata Store, felt donut decoration making with Rosie Anwara and create a festive piñata with Lizzie King. These were all shot in the basement of the Vans Covent Garden Boutique store, which was transformed into a grotto-inspired studio by Toy&Robin