In recent years, pop-up concepts have grown to become a key marketing strategy for brands looking to increase their engagement with customers. The trend is part of what can be seen as a ‘reinvention’ of physical retail in the post-pandemic era – an adaptation to consumer demands for novelty in physical, as well as online spaces.
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Here, we take a look at some of the best pop-up concepts that 2022 has had to offer so far.
Hermès in Bangkok
Source: Hermès
A great example of a highly immersive pop-up, French fashion house Hermès brought its very own gym, HermèsFit, to Bangkok in March of this year. The space was centred around the brand’s signature orange hue and silk carré motifs, featuring a wide range of stylish amenities for customers to benefit from. This included a boxing ring (which even transformed into a dance floor with a live DJ at night); carré printed punching bags; a rock-climbing wall; a yoga room; and a strength training area where custom Hermès weights could be found. It further offered customers a chance to unwind at the juice bar and capture some of the fun at its photobooths.
Dior in Seoul
Source: Dior
Dior opened an extravagant 7,500-square-foot pop-up complex in Seoul’s trendy Seongsu-dong district in May, following the brand’s first runway exhibition in South Korea. The Parisian glass conservatory inspired space – a design collaboration with Korean design company D’strict – is set to be open for three years, intending to evolve with new seasons’ collections. It houses a café and French garden along with its multi-room Dior boutique areas. The pop-up complex can be seen to represent the future generation of elevated physical retail, offering immersive experiences that speak to the luxury house’s Parisian roots.
Adidas X Gucci in Singapore
Source: Gucci
Inaugurating in June of this year at Singapore’s Design Orchard, this year’s Adidas X Gucci retro-inspired sporty collection was showcased in a vibrant space that echoed its kaleidoscopic 1970s influences – an homage to the heritage of both brands. The pop-up had many social media-worthy spots, including the mini-golf course located outside of the store, where you could find purple Adidas X Gucci golf carts to pose with. The pop-up was celebrated to engage consumers with the new ready-to-wear collection, especially with the highly sought-after Gucci take on the iconic Adidas Gazelle sneaker.
Diesel in Shanghai
Source: Diesel
Known to have made a major fashion comeback this year, Italian designer brand Diesel opened an inflatable pop-up shop at Shanghai landmark, TX Huaihai, in August. The location brought Diesel’s classic, edgy ‘shock-vertising’ to the city, featuring a bizarre giant inflatable doll at its entrance, dressed in the brand’s signature denim ensemble. On Weibo, the pop-up and its inflatable doll accumulated over 100 million views, with many KOLs and fashion influencers posting photos of the displays to social media. The pop-up is recognised to be a part of Diesel’s efforts to expand its reach across Greater China, beyond its 56 existing store locations.
Prada Village in Taipei
Source: Prada
Prada opened its Taipei Bellavita mall ‘village’ pop-up between September to October of this year. Its unique layout comprised a vibrant green lawn on which four pastel houses sat for customers to explore, each displaying a different selection of products. The result was a highly photogenic and imaginative space that allowed people to step into the world of Prada; thereby getting a better understanding of the creative vision behind the ready-to-wear Prada Galleria and Prada Moon bags, which were central to the pop-up’s displays.
Burberry at Jilin Songhua Lake Resort
Source: Burberry
Dedicated to taking its outerwear collection directly to those who need it on the slopes, Burberry opened a short-term, tent-style boutique at Songhua Lake Resort, China. Its alpine, wintery atmosphere displayed the brand’s newly launched jackets, also offering Thomas Burberry inspired coffees and confectionaries for customers to enjoy.
Moncler in Shibuya
Source: Moncler
This December, Moncler repurposed the ground floor of a recently closed hotel to reveal its new pop-up for its 70th anniversary, nestled in Tokyo’s busy Shibuya shopping district. Its walls were notably crafted to look like the brand’s signature quilted puffer jackets, making the location easily recognisable by shoppers as Moncler. Characteristic of hyperphysical retail designs, Moncler’s concept featured an NFT wall for digital token artworks created for the Moncler Maya 7o jacket, a projection wall presenting the latest campaign, and furthermore, a unique photobooth that allows you to capture memories with a 360-degree camera.
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Pop-up concepts were a clear success in 2022: efforts to diversify the types of retail experiences available has proven to be highly effective in the Asian market, particularly when it comes to brands launching their new collections. We look forward to seeing what the next year has in store for pop-ups, with the benefits of hyperphysical spaces being increasingly praised for rejuvenating retail markets.