Company: George P. Johnson, Auburn Hills, MI
Company Description: gpj.com | George P. Johnson is the world’s leading experiential marketing agency. We create innovative live, mobile and online experiences that motivate audiences and activate brands. We’re part of Project: WorldWide, an independent, global network of complementary, wholly-owned agencies.
Nomination Category: Live Event Categories
Nomination Sub Category: Best Consumer Event

Nomination Title: Under Armour House of Innovation

The date on which this nominated production was first presented: January 31, 2014

Briefly describe the nominated event's objectives and how it met those objectives (up to 525 words):

The goal was simple: generate overall brand buzz and awareness for Under Armour in New York City (a statistically low ranking market in UA brand recognition). Excite and engage the public with the Under Armour innovation story, while focusing on the Speedform Apollo launch – making it known that Under Armour “does footwear.” The “House of Innovation” was designed for consumers to touch, feel and experience the brand in a cool and authentic way.

Throughout the space, every touch point had to reflect Under Armour’s precise brand standards; that is, a brand for athletes who are never satisfied and never willing to settle. The target audience included a much broader base than runners; it was a showcase of technology and innovation for all NYC commuters and visitors throughout Super Bowl weekend, both inside the venue and via social media, and digital, retail and radio ads driving traffic to the experience.

To engage commuters, football fans, runners, athletes and media with relevancy and authenticity, we cut through the Super Bowl clutter by taking over an iconic location – away from other NFL/game-day-related events. From here, we developed an approach to grab eyes and minds with impact, showcasing the Under Armour brand, products and attitude to a constant stream of consumers, whether passing through for 30 seconds or fully participating for 30 minutes.

To create the ultimate Under Armour experience and Speedform Apollo launch pad, we went big. Really big. The Under Armour “House of Innovation” took over Vanderbilt Hall at Grand Central Station, creating a completely immersive 12,500-square-foot brand experience. 360° projection, complete with body-rumbling surround sound, showcased awe-inspiring content. Under Armour trainers led New Yorkers through sweat-soaked workouts. Head-to-head running challenges spotlighted the new shoes in action, while interactive transparent LCDs enabled visitors to deep dive into the technology behind them. Pro athlete appearances and talks, drumlines, dJs, a custom physical/digital football game — even a pop-up retail shop — kept the action going all day and night. The capstone of the event was the dramatic media unveiling of Speedform Apollo, which saw more than 70 press outlets clamoring for prime position in Under Armour’s House.

Competing for attention during Super Bowl weekend in New York City is no easy task, but the House of Innovation achieved its goals and more. It brought Under Armour innovation and passion to life through the fusion of inspired digitally and physically driven engagements. The House rose above the clutter of NYC to become one of the most buzzed about events of Super Bowl weekend.

Nearly 700,000 visitors experienced the “House of Innovation” over the course of four days. 70+ media outlets covered the PR launch event. Countless social media hits (including Twitter and Facebook – replete with higher than average consumer posts from the onsite punt/return game) and surprisingly high onsite retail sales blew any pre-conceived expectations out of the water. Consumer recognition of the “House” being “better than the NFL Experience” was just the icing on the cake.

List the appropriate creative and production credits for this entry: Advertising Agency/City: Client: Art Director: Cinematographer: Creative Director: Designer: Director: Illustrator/City: Music Producer/City: Photographer/City: Printer/City: Producer: Production Company/City: Programmer: Writer: Web Development Firm/City:

Creative Director: John Trinanes/Alicia Wysk