Market Sector: Experiential Retail

Cleancult

Design and build a product exhibition for Natural Products Expo West.

Goal

Offering products with real ingredients, zero-waste packaging, and a powerful clean that’s better for you, Cleancult is a sustainably-minded brand offering natural cleaning goods and refills that are gentler on the planet. Seeking to build brand awareness, engage with distributors, and educate potential customers on their offering, Cleancult partnered with MG2 to bring its digitally native brand and persona to life into a physical product exhibition at Natural Products Expo West.

MG2

Providing everything from design ideation, 2D layout, and 3D renderings to all production sources and build out management, MG2 worked hand-in-hand with Cleancult to create a branded environment that accurately represents the brand’s messaging and aesthetic, source and execute the production of the exhibition booth, and—keeping in line with the brand’s sustainable mission—carefully plan for storage and future reuse of the set.

Outcome

Cleancult found great success with the debut of its brand in a physical environment. To highlight their sustainable messaging, we incorporated an oversized product carton to emphasize their sustainable packaging, a living wall with real plants, and included digital and physical signage with product claims and information—all utilizing environmentally-friendly materials. Cleancult was thrilled with the connections made during the show and is now set up for future activations with quick and easy access to an existing build-out in storage.

Victoria’s Secret Bombshell Gardens

Engaging. Instagrammable. Destination-worthy.

When Victoria’s Secret, one of the defining brands in the world of beauty, sought to elevate both local and global awareness around its iconic Bombshell fragrance, they partnered with MG2 / The Lionesque Group on the design, development, and build-out of a one-week immersive pop-up experience on The High Line: an iconic outdoor park that weaves through the heart of Manhattan.

From the onset, finding the perfect outdoor venue—an outdoor city park that allowed for the selling of goods but also supported the duration desired by the client—was as challenging as it was paramount. The team sourced, scouted, and worked with the City of New York to navigate the complexities of permitting to secure the iconic, elevated High Line park for the pop-up’s location. With the challenges that variable weather can provide for outdoor venues, designers also took every possibility into consideration while curating the experience, incorporating contingencies for inclement climates.

With a focus on creating an immersive, technology-integrated journey that would play host to several events and memorable moments throughout the week, designers adopted and embodied the Bombshell state of mind from day one. Designers studied concepts in 2D and rendered in 3D, while also carefully curating the color and material palettes, signage, lighting, and floral packages that would become the foundation of the experiential attributes, iconic structures, and captivating motifs.

With the run-of-show, customer journey, and design details finalized, The Lionesque Group conducted a veritable orchestra of contractors, vendors, and specialists, coordinating the budgets and timelines of hundreds of moving pieces to bring a wholly unique, unforgettable 10,000 sq/ft pop-up to life.

The experience featured 150 lbs of greenery, 525 feet of LED neon, 1,350 sq/ft of pink vinyl, and approximately 58,000 stems of fresh florals—half of them season-favorite peonies—sourced both locally and from countries around the world.

The Bombshell Gardens debuted to unanimous fanfare from the press, influencers, celebrities, and visitors. Complete with immersive projection mapping, artful mirrored installations, elegant gardens containing thousands of flowers, and classic brand iconography, visitors were immersed in the Bombshell story: a place of discovery where all are welcome to be inspired and uplifted through the ultimate fragrance journey.

Engaging, Instagrammable, and destination-worthy, the Victoria’s Secret Bombshell Gardens experience garnered over 93,000 visitors, millions of social media impressions, four engagement proposals, significant brand awareness and coverage, and the genuine, high-spirited, consumer-empowering brand engagement it sought from the week-long pop-up event.

Press Coverage

Awards

Packer x Asics

For US Open 2016, Packer x Asics opened up shop in Grand Central Station with a limited collection.

Goal

To generate awareness and sales for the first exclusive launch of Packer Shoes x Asics and Mitchell & Ness capsule collections.

MG2

Packer Shoes contracted MG2 for their 4th Pop-Up Store in NYC. With the goal of capturing U.S. Open-based media and foot traffic, MG2 secured Vanderbilt Hall at Grand Central Station and was the lead project management team for the #GAMESETMATCH activation.

Outcome

Located at the pinnacle of passerby traveling from NYC to Arthur Ashe stadium, the 3-day pop-up captured thousands of visitors daily and was featured in major industry publications including SneakerNews, HypeBeast, Sole Collector, and more.

Amazon Video

From November 29 through December 8, 2018, fans of the Amazon Prime Video original series The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel were able to experience a slice of 1958 New York through a pop-up Carnegie Deli replica restaurant in Lower Manhattan.

Goal

To promote the release of the second season of Prime Original show The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, the iconic Carnegie Deli was brought back to life through a pop-up deli experience that transported visitors back to the era of the TV series, with everything from décor, to pricing, to the menu, reflecting 1950’s New York City as depicted in The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, making it a fully immersive and highly photographable experience.

MG2

Tool of North America hired MG2 as their full-service partner to design and render, as well as source and manage, the production of the immersive environment for the pop-up, with a2zrestaurant as the operational partner.

Outcome

The pop-up deli experience was an extraordinary success, it served 11,000 people and had a waiting list of 8,000. The pop-up garnered 280 pieces of press coverage including Buzzfeed, Forbes, Vogue, Eater, USA Today, and 10 broadcast segments, with a social media reach of 45 million.

2019 One Show Awards Finalist for Experiential Design and Indoor Spaces

Sally Hansen

Sally Hansen opened a pop-up nail bar during NYFW to debut their innovative new app that solves the trial-by-purchase nail polish problem.

Goal

Brand Awareness and education for ManiMatch the app that lets you virtually paint on nail polish. (Using augmented reality technology, the app allows you to digitally test drive over 200 different Sally Hansen shades!)

MG2

MG2 was tapped by Sally Hansen’s digital agency, CULT LDN, to be the partner production agency for the pop-up nail bar. We partnered to source the location, design 3D renderings, oversee production build, and source store staff.

Outcome

Over the 3-day pop-up had over 2,500 visitors, drove over 19 million social media impressions, and was cited as a “Genius App” by Teen Vogue and “Best Way to Shop” by Mashable.

ShopLAB

Partnering with Steiner + Associates, MG2 was tasked to provide strategy services to analyze, evaluate, and solidify the pop-up retail incubator program. 

Goal

Evaluating and identifying the turnkey operational strategy in relation to data driven technology and brand curation while further solidifying goals of the overarching retail experience at the property.

MG2

MG2 worked closely with the Steiner + Associates team to ensure the turn-key program would be a success. MG2 provided guidance on needed IT infrastructure to support technology integration(s) and evaluated and ensured the design technology investments aligned with Easton Town Center customer DNA as well as met the needs of target brands and retailers. MG2 also strategized a comprehensive staffing and operational plan and consulted on the pricing structure and needed tenant amenities to establish a positive NOI.

Outcome

ShopLAB is a lower risk solution for the retailers, allowing them to test their performance at Easton Town Center while they measure customer capture potential and the online halo effect of the brick-and-mortar location. The program places a strong emphasis on local Ohio brands, unique gifts and concepts, experiential retailers looking to test out the Columbus market as a future long-term investment.

Tempo

A unique customer journey

When Tempo—an industry leader in the burgeoning world of home fitness—sought to expand its connection with consumers by branching out into the physical retail market, they partnered with MG2 / The Lionesque Group on a holistic approach toward the strategy, design, and build-out of new stand-alone stores.

Applying the data and learning from its partnership retail spaces, Tempo sought a retail offering that goes beyond demoing its products and services. A unique customer journey steeped in education and daily possibilities as part of the Tempo community was carefully curated, showcasing the potential for a healthier, fuller lifestyle, fueled by the strength derived from the brand’s offering. Featuring inspiration from coaches and the company’s founder himself, Tempo’s brick-and-mortar story helps consumers envision a marriage of activities in the real world—rock climbing, surfing, hiking, and more—and your wellness partner at home.

In addition to a comprehensive approach toward strategy, design, and build-out of stores, designers partnered with Tempo on an alignment of KPIs for its new retail spaces. A series of market studies helped the teams determine the right square footage and cities for pilot stores, while simultaneously partnering on and driving everything from concept development, retail strategy plan, and budget assessments, to design fit and project management.

With doors opening in Manhattan and Bellevue, Washington on time for the holiday season, Tempo is primed to properly analyze and optimize its brick-and-mortar retail strategies, while fully immersing home fitness enthusiasts in what’s possible as part of their unique community.

IRL

MG2 / The Lionesque Group partnered with GGP to create a place where digitally native brands could test physical retail in a complete turnkey solution. Technologically driven, the project included RFID “Wishlist” key with analytic tracking and enabled the education of customers about their brand story and unique product offerings.

The team fully developed the program and space from the ground up, including creating all branded aspects of the store, curating brands, developing a monthly membership program, design and production of the space, operational management, and ongoing marketing & in-store event strategies.

Offering an experience that garnered 4,156 shares and over 11M impressions, a total of 15 e-commerce brands were showcased in the first chapter of IRL, with 80% viable for long-term tenancy. The innovative concept drew attention from local and national media including articles in Chicago Tribune, Glossy, WWD, Design:Retail, among others.

  • Project Details

  • Location Chicago, IL
  • Client GGP Inc.
  • Market Sectors
  • Size 4,500 SF
  • Services
  • Certifications Design Retail Store of the Year 2018, Glossy 2018 Best New Concept Store Finalist

Citizenry

The Citizenry Bunkhouse is filled with handcrafted home goods from their various collections aimed at celebrating countries around the world. Located on Bleecker Street in the West Village, the pop-up gives customers the chance to shop the curated collection in person and meet the team.  The objectives were to grow overall brand awareness, learn about customers, and test the viability of a permanent retail store in NYC.

MG2 / The Lionesque Group worked in partnership with The Citizenry team to evaluate and concept the optimal flow and overall store layout. Deliverables included: inspiration for key in-store moments such as the Pampas window story, fireplace moment and patio scene, as well as budget assessment sourcing and oversight for store build-out production. 

After a successful 22 day pop-up with strong foot traffic, sales and growth in brand awareness in the New York market, The Citizenry extended their stay in the West Village. Over the duration of the pop-up, they garnered media coverage from major outlets including Architectural Digest and House Beautiful.

The RealReal

As a way to test the brick-and-mortar retail environment, The RealReal hired MG2 / The Lionesque Group as their pop-up design and strategy partner to launch a two-week holiday store in Soho, NYC. The objectives were to increase brand awareness, generate sales and test the viability of a permanent brick-and-mortar retail store.

The team provided location and design consultation for optimal layout in a retail environment and customer flow within the pop-up space. The deliverables included securing a location that best allowed TheRealReal to interact with their target demographic, sourcing of store fixtures, operational elements and back of house, and budget and production oversight from build-out to break-down.

After two successful weeks, with over 1,000 visitors
on a daily basis, The RealReal a year later opened up
a permanent location in Soho. Over the duration of
the pop-up, they garnered media coverage from
major outlets including BBC Radio, RackedNY,
HarperBazaar, Hollywood Reporter and more. 

  • Project Details

  • Location Multiple Locations, United States
  • Client The RealReal
  • Market Sectors
  • Size New York: 4,600 SF FOH + 2,500 SF BOH
    San Francisco: 4,500 SF FOH + 1,500 SF BOH
    Las Vegas: 4,500 SF
  • Services

Madison Reed

To help the brand build a solid, successful foundation for its long-term brick-and-mortar strategy, Madison Reed partnered with MG2 / The Lionesque Group to launch its first pop-up store in New York City.

With a six-month lease, the goals of the project were multi-faceted and included everything from introducing the Madison Reed brand to NYC and building awareness, to testing the viability of brick-and-mortar in order to acquire new customers and increase revenues of both one-time purchases and subscriptions. 

As a full-service partner, The Lionesque Group team provided a complete turn-key experience. Beginning by securing a retail space in Flatiron—a neighborhood with a high density of the brand’s target demographic—the team worked together with Madison Reed to conceptualize, design, source, budget, and bring to life the aesthetic and store flow for the first-ever Color Bar in just five weeks time.

Following a wildly successful launch—during which bookings increased daily—Madison Reed went on to open up a permanent location in Flatiron, with the design/build assistance of MG2 / The Lionesque Group, just a few months later, in addition to being named “Best in Beauty 2017” by NY Magazine.

Purple

With the objective of growing brand awareness and driving sales, Purple sought to tell an authentic, immersive direct-to-consumer story through a showroom and a series of pop-up experiences across the United States. Engaging MG2 / The Lionesque Group as their full-service partner, the D2C brand took a turn-key approach toward driving sales and educating potential customers. 

The design team visualized, crafted, ideated, and executed an innovative physical retail strategy, as well as sourced and managed the production of popup spaces across multiple cities. This multi-faceted program has empowered the brand to evolve and expand the program in the future, broadening its reach and allowing more customers to experience their Purple Grid technology first-hand.

Periodic: A Popup Shop

A turnkey pop-up solution for innovative brands.

In today’s retail landscape, many companies find themselves hoping to test the waters of a brick-and-mortar investment before committing to a longer lease. Periodic—designed and implemented by MG2 / The Lionesque Group—is an award-winning, turn-key space located in the South Lake Union district of Seattle created for brands to activate pop-up experiences in a seamless way.

With the unique challenge of creating a full-service platform that offered both a B2B and B2C presence, the team worked with close attention to detail on everything from the Periodic name, font, and logo, to the modularity and functionality of design fixtures, to curating onboarding and offboarding programming offered to each business that inhabits their space.

From two weeks to two months at a time, Periodic gives brands an opportunity to have a presence in a fast-growing, highly trafficked neighborhood. The platform is designed to set them up for success, taking the jurisdictional weight off their shoulders and allowing them to test for viability, grow brand awareness, or trial a target demographic in a short amount of time with an efficient investment approach.

Along with a fixturing package designed to flex and modulate to accommodate individual merchandising and storytelling needs, each curated brand has access to a local marketing company and a best practices playbook. The space itself—a glass building on a corner lot—acts as a billboard, creating a truly unique, hyper-accessible, out-of-the-box pop-up solution that both brands and the community are already benefitting from.

For its unique consumer experiences and experimental turnkey platform that allows for brands of all sizes to test the brick-and-mortar waters in downtown Seattle, Periodic: A Popup Shop was honored as one of Fast Company’s Most Innovative Retail Designs of 2021.

Press Coverage

jcoco

A tastefully designed shop for all seasons

Seattle Chocolate’s jcoco line brings together high-quality chocolate infused with global flavors with a high-fashion image and a strong commitment to community. MG2’s Peter Stocker worked closely with jcoco in the line’s early stages to develop its unique brand concept and packaging. Informed by this insight, Stocker and the MG2 team successfully brought the jcoco brand to life in their first standalone location.

MG2 designed the location to reflect the flexibility and interactivity of a pop-up shop, but with the high-end details of a permanent brick-and-mortar that is befitting of the stylish jcoco brand. MG2 designed the shop to undergo a series of three complete transformations during its seven-month run, with each design concept, in-store events, and merchandising drawing inspiration from a seasonally featured chocolate.

The jcoco pop-up is a clear representation of the impact of end-to-end brand storytelling and the type of immersive, interactive experience that can only happen in a brick-and-mortar store.