Suave Studio Pop Up Shop

The Scoop

Project:
As part of the nationwide "Can You Tell?" branding campaign for Suave, the client looked to add a direct-to-consumer media event to showcase the products’ competitive advantages. A full working salon, the Suave “Can You Tell?” Studio was devised, offering the public and the media complimentary salon services by professional stylists using both competitors’ and Suave products side by side. These temporary salons would appear briefly in New York, Chicago and Minneapolis.

Client:
Unilever, Weber Shandwick Worldwide

Deliverables

Secure vacant retail space in a high-traffic location in all three markets, willing to rent for a month or less.
Creative development
Scenic and graphic design and installation
Product warehousing, transport and distribution
Tour routing and logistics
On-site and on-the-road management
Onsite staffing and management, including the hiring of Professional, licensed stylists in all three markets.
On-site coordination of appointments for all markets, booked through a national toll-free number.

By the Numbers

A former Chinese restaurant on 42nd St. just off Fifth Avenue in Manhattan, an empty home furnishings store in Chicago’s Gold Coast and a vacant sports bar in the heart of downtown Minneapolis.
Design of a modular environment which could fit in all three spaces and yet not look temporary while ensuring that the media could easily move through each space with cameras and other equipment.
Full color window treatments designed for each space.

How'd We Do?

The Studio was open to the public for 5 days in New York, and two days each in Chicago and Minneapolis. Appointments were completely booked and a steady flow of clients, including Joan and Melissa Rivers and 27 beauty editors, were serviced.

More than 560 million total media placements were secured nationwide, registering more than 164 million impressions. In exit interviews, nearly three-fourths of the visitors had a better perception of Suave after their visit.

The Suave Studio was nominated for a BizBash Event Style Award.

"I can't say enough great things about Eventage. They were true partners from start to finish and played a valuable role in everything from helping develop our studio look to securing the locations and staff. And, when it came down to actually executing our events, they didn't miss a beat. We literally could not have done the Suave Studio without them!"
- Vice President, Weber Shandwick