Objectives

Backcountry is an outdoor gear and apparel brand that has built a very successful online ecosystem. The brand engaged us to translate their existing ecommerce structure into a retail experience by creating their first brick and mortar space: a seasonal popup in NYC. The goal was to offer a curated selection of winter products, while retaining the high level of service consumers had come to expect from the brand digitally.

Since Backcountry is an online retailer, we needed to create a design that would act as a visual center for the brand. We wanted the popup to feel identifiable as Backcountry, but it wasn't meant to formally define a brick and mortar expression for them. Product love had to be separate from brand love, and the design needed to drive loyalty and affinity.

Another large goal for the space was to create moments where customers could interact with Backcountry's Gearheads, a group of outdoor experts, gear enthusiasts, and customer service reps that are so deeply engrained in the industry, they're able to provide incomparable knowledge, one-of-a-kind adventures, and next level brand expertise to consumers. Their Gearheads truly hold a level of industry knowledge that far surpasses the concierge level, and we wanted to allow that to shine through.
 

How were the objectives met?

The Gearheads are so highly valuable to Backcountry, they were brought in from Utah (where the brand is headquartered) in lieu of hiring local, seasonal workers, to help ensure the expertise and top notch service guests are accustomed to online would be seamlessly replicated within the popup's physical space. And they weren't just there to make sales; they were there to ensure every guest had a personalized, insightful experience.

To help guide these experiences, we worked engaging moments into the design. A welcome screen highlighted which Gearheads were working that day. A multi-option light box allowed for goggle testing. A map invited guests to pin places they've visited. QR codes were placed alongside apparel to help shoppers find additional options online. An interactive phone shared interesting stories with listeners and allowed them to record their own. One-of-a-kind Outervention cards were created for shoppers to gift outdoor activities to loved ones for the holidays. And on select days, a snow cat sat outside serving beverages and providing photo ops.

On opening day, there was a line of enthused consumers waiting to get in that spanned multiple city blocks. We had designed a space that not only attracted shoppers, but fueled true fandom. Thousands of people wanted to experience the popup!

Location: Portland, OR, United States

Submitter: Twenty Four 7

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