Paris – Allowing consumers to experience extreme weather conditions in a contained setting, Nike is teaming up with design studio Modem to create an immersive retail experience that stirs the senses. Unfolding in a purpose-built weather dome inside of Nike’s House of Innovation, the sportswear brand is recreating the sensation of the seasons to showcase its climate adaptive FIT ADV range.
To highlight the versatility and durability of the high-end performance line, Nike is using technology to simulate the experience of travelling between tropical, dry and polar regions at great speed. Using ambient lighting, multi-directional audio soundscapes, artificial wind and large-scale interactive environments, Nike can recreate the physical feeling of extreme weather in an indoor setting. A large, high-res LED screen guides consumers through the experience, drawing attention to the specific details of the garment that has been designed to respond to each climate.
Taking the concept of ‘try before you buy’ to new extremes, consumers who trial the experience will be filmed and given a video which they can share on their social media platforms. Using technology to innovate its visual merchandising strategies, Nike is aligning itself with retail's Third-space Storefronts that blur the boundaries between indoors and outdoors.
Strategic opportunity
Sportswear companies with performance-wear lines should consider introducing products in natural settings that elevate try-before-you-buy