Sorel Pop-up: A Dazzling Design Tribute to the Caribou Silhouette.

MG2’s retail design for a Sorel Pop-up is a finalist in the 8th annual GRAY Awards.

FINALIST

Breakout category: Retail or Showroom

Designer: MG2

Project location: New York City, New York, United States

Date of completion: October 2023

Images: Courtesy Sorel

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SUBMISSION

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The footwear brand Sorel celebrated the 50th anniversary of its iconic Caribou silhouette with its first shop--a pop-up--in New York City. Located in the Williamsburg shopping district of Brooklyn, N.Y., the 950-square-foot store was easy to spot--awash with the brand's signature orange colorway.

An unforgettable beacon in Williamsburg, the shop became a stage for a high-voltage marketing campaign. The space was designed to serve as an eye-popping background for social media, the physical embodiment of a buzzy, branded experience beginning with a marketing launch that included a marching band, young celebrities, and social media influencers. The key to turning this tiny storefront into a compelling short-term destination was its full-color saturation.

Inside and out, the Sorel pop-up appeared much bigger than its small retail footprint thanks to 25 gallons of Optimized Orange paint that covered the walls, ceiling and floor inside the store and on the outside brick and entry canopy. No one, whether walking, biking or driving by, could miss its orange glow.

The interior entry featured an interactive, augmented reality photo experience that invited visitors to fully immerse themselves in the brand and connect in a unique way. The digital engagement highlighted the "Polar Bear"--one of Sorel's latest boot styles--and paired the shoe with a variety of weather elements to demonstrate that the stylish footwear also offered protection from the elements.

The imagery, which included raindrops and swirling snow, could be captured as a snapshot and posted on social media for digital audiences. Thousands of posts appeared on multiple platforms including IG stories, IG posts, Reels, and TikToks. All told, there were 36 million media impressions.

Past the AR Experience Mirror were other specific and special brand moments. The Heritage Wall. A display of newly released Sorel footwear. The Customization Station. A low-slung try-on area. And a 3D artist's interpretation of the polar bear logo. No one section was dominant, creating a beautiful symmetry of design elements--and all in orange.

The product itself was a key inspiration for how the merchandise was displayed. The orange fixtures with a wavy kinetic motif were a nod to the iconic Sorel styles. The Brand Heritage wall was a collage of vintage Sorel ads combined with new campaign imagery--color-washed in orange--to celebrate the breadth of the brand’s heritage. At the back of the space was an orange-drenched charm and lace personalization bar where shoppers could customize their boot purchases.

Interior surfaces, which included a variety of hard metals, gave a nod to the diverse textural landscape of New York City. In the try-on area, a metal grid wall display and orange strapping across the artwork and mirror created an interesting textural landscape that alluded to rugged city life. Color blocking the entire store proved to be an ideal, efficient, and cost-effective way to bring a small, short-term retail space to life and attract attention many times its size.

Activating any space in Williamsburg for a short time in Q4 can be highly competitive. Though this structure needed an immense amount of work, it did offer great window frontage, strong visibility, good adjacencies, and a unique brand statement--with an address on 6th Street that spoke for itself.

Once the design team was convinced that this was the location they wanted, they vetted opportunities with their strategic counterparts who were able to determine that what needed to be done was possible with the time and budget allowed. The designers and construction management teams then worked in lockstep to craft an actionable plan and a schedule.

Even though the property was covered with graffiti and slated to be torn down, permissions for the exterior mural takeover as well as the removal of interior walls and optimization of flooring proved difficult. Great care was taken to work closely with all the stakeholders to create and deliver this one-of-a-kind pop-up experience. By the time the pop-up wrapped up, in fact, several brands were interested in becoming long-term tenants. Rather than being razed, the building is now highly coveted by retailers and a destination in the neighborhood.

DESIGN TEAM:

Melissa Gonzalez, Principal

Nicole Pokorny, Senior Strategist

COLLABORATORS:

Fabrication: 11th St. Workshop

Lighting: Design One Lighting

Signage: FAST Signs

AR Technology: Zero 10

DESIGNER PROFILE:

Guided by our vision to create transformative experiences that foster and elevate healthy communities, MG2 has been delivering award-winning projects and programs for over 50 years. We partner with some of the world’s most recognizable companies and brands to bring exceptional design solutions to life through full architectural, strategic planning, cost management, interior design, brand strategy, and program consulting services. Our seven offices in the U.S. and China—Seattle, Portland, New York, Washington D.C., Minneapolis, Irvine, and Shanghai—integrate building performance and social responsibility into every project. At MG2, our greatest strength lies in our people, our clients, and our commitment to helping them succeed. We are purpose-driven by nature, data-driven by design.

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The 8th Annual GRAY Awards is sponsored by: