How to Plan Your Merchandising Strategy for a Formula 1 Pop-Up

The world’s largest luxury goods company, LVMH , announced its collaboration with Formula 1 this October. The 10-year deal is described as “an unprecedented agreement between the world leader in luxury and the pinnacle of motorsport” by the two parties. What do the visual presentations look like when two giants like these join arms? At the Puma X A$AP Rocky pop-up, A$AP Rocky wanted to remind people to “never limit their imagination or lose sight of their dreams”. Does the partnership reflect the same?

The Formula 1 demographic has changed the past few years, and it has become more popular among Millennials and Gen Z thanks to the Netflix documentary series “Formula 1: Drive to Survive.” Sports and fashion are starting to share common ground, and brands are beginning to catch on to this trend. Formula 1 races are now the place to create collaborations between industries. As Lewis Hamilton said to Business of Fashion: “The fashion world has now realized the potential that the sport has to reach global audiences”. 

Immersive Pop-Ups: The union of sportswear, music and motorsport

If your brand isn’t a part of the LVMH, there are other ways to collaborate by creating immersive experiences that tell a story, as explored in our article on Storyliving. The athletic and now almost retro brand PUMA landed a collaboration with Formula 1, designed by no other than the extravagant musician A$AP Rocky. The exclusive pop-ups took place during the Miami F1 Race and at the FORMULA 1 LAS VEGAS GRAND PRIX 2023. They were concepted and curated by A$AP Rocky himself and featured several vibrant and playful environments which was meant to remind people to never limit your imagination or lose sight of your dreams. Channeling a creative musician like A$AP Rocky to create the visual space is an act of genius, as artists regard physical spaces with a fresh view. Creative minds with different backgrounds feed off each other and are able to make something bigger.

A$AP Rocky confirmed: “When the world sees what we’re doing, I believe a shift will happen with how brands approach taking risks and working with diverse creatives”. 

A$AP Rocky. Photo credit: Jojo Korsh

This space comes alive thanks to its environment and the people in it. With the sky pitch black, the neon lights give us the impression of finally arriving in Las Vegas after a 10-hour drive. A$AP’s graffiti-inspired logo flashes in the sky on signs showing people where to find him and his designs. He’s showing us where to go. The pop-up takes its colors and shapes from the designs of the clothing: flaming tribals and illuminating neon colors. The 90s are back, and Millennial customers might get a flash back to being on the set of The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift. A dream come true. 

Products are displayed inside closed windows portraying gasoline pumps, continuing the real-life illusion of being on the road, while giving the feeling of exclusivity. The space is naturally adorned with dirty car tires, dirt bikes and race cars, putting the customer directly into the world A$AP has created. The clothes are elevated from the hangers and transformed into a frenzy of speed and adrenaline. A group of models, looking like A$AP’s entourage, are also wearing the designs at the pop-up, and confirms the reason for throwing these events in the first place: to make the clothes come to life. PUMA Group isn’t just selling a product; they’re selling a lifestyle. The union of sportswear, music and motorsport attract a much wider scope of customers, making this event an interesting place for people and industries to mingle and grow. 

According to Launch Metrics, dedicated capsule collections have proved fruitful for Puma, as A$AP Rocky generated $990K MIV® (Media Impact Value) across two posts while promoting the Puma x F1 collection. Leveraging Owned Media as a vehicle to promote collaborations propelled engagement and drove impact, and Puma Motorsport collected a total of $935K MIV®.

Location, Timing, Storytelling: The Formula for Success

During the Miami Grand Prix earlier this year, TAG Heuer’s collaboration with Formula 1 created a 11-day long pop-up experience to display the most successful car in history, the RB19, featuring the Kith Heuer’s logo. Now, even if you’re not interested in motorsport, this car is an impressive sight. Located at the Palm Court at Miami Design District, the circular stand is located in the middle of an outdoor space is lined with public art. It is right next to a prototype of Buckminster Fuller Fly’s Eye Dome that serves as a covering for the entrance of the downstairs parking garage, making it seem like the reason for the stand’s round shape. 

The watches are displayed inside a window next to the car, mirroring its colors as well as repeating the round shape. Time and speed go hand in hand, as the collaboration proudly portrays. 

This pop-up was successful due to at least two things: timing and location. The Miami Grand Prix ensures to attract the rights customers to see the magnificent car who won’t be able to hide their curiosity for the brand associated with it. The teal-colored glass covering the buildings around the Palm Court perfectly embrace the stand and its colors, making it seem like they’re in perfect harmony. Surrounded by designer boutiques and artwork, the location of this pop-up has already done the job, associating both the car and the watches with luxurious design and pieces of art. 

While we are on the subject of location, location, location, the English fashion brand Reiss teamed up with McLaren Formula 1 team and created a pop-up at the very Silverstone Formula 1 racetrack. While the collection was also displayed in the Reiss store in London, the brand went to great lengths to reach its new customers: the racing fans. The stand features photos of McLaren Formula 1 drivers Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri wearing the debut collection and is selling Silverstone exclusive pieces. The pop-up’s location has already made the customer feel important. In comparison to Reiss’ usually muted color choices, this collection and its pop-ups are infused with papaya orange, signaling energy, passion and life force. This choice makes it impossible to not notice the collection in Reiss stores. Like the PR collaboration video, the brand is comparing the engineering of the garments to the engineering of cars, also done subtly in store. 

The pop-up at the Reiss store in Barrett Street in London had one huge focal point: an orange car in the window.

Visual merchandising expert Marica Gigante said to Toscanini.it that “the window display has to ‘shout’ to attract the customers’ attention”.

Here, the window display prepares the customer for what they will experience inside. There are thick tires places around in the store, orange accents on rails, hangers and on the floor. Pictures and videos are used to create personalize and create context, as we see both young men and women wearing the collection. It is clear which demographic they are trying to reach. Both pop-ups had orange aluminum trusses in cube form, reminding us of Start- and Finish-arches. The trusses the London store supported  a number of light tubes, alluminiating the clothes perfectly. 

Launchmetrics reports that strategic partnerships with teams amplify brand reach to diverse customer segments, and McLaren contributed $500K MIV® to Reiss.

Drawing Inspiration from Formula 1 for Your Brand

While the world is fighting fast fashion, speed is evidently still a popular inspiration for fashion brands. The Formula 1 collaboration pop-ups optimized the possibilities of location, and usurpingly, of placing racing cars where nobody would expect to see them. This surprise effect is strong enough to get several target group’s attention. Bright colors, neon lights and famous faces help to engage young customers and invite them to discover racing culture in their local store. The brands have expanded their world and enriched their customers’ brand impression. They have made a real attempt at making dreams a reality.