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Nike’s HOI has seen many impressive AV campaigns since opening in 2020, such as Air Max Day (top left) and Air for Athletes (above), all powered by satis&fy
was not allowed to escape the space, so everything had to remain fully contained within the built structure.” For the project, 100 moving lights were installed in the ceiling, which functioned almost like motion tracking. “As a person walked through the space, the lights would follow them or guide them along a specific path,” says Schaefer. “The entire system operated using live feedback from the shoes in combination with a touch-sensitive floor.” Nike also partnered with Uncanny Valley Studio, which is based in Paris and does all the programming behind House of Innovation. “For a project like this, we usually pre-build in our warehouse in Frankfurt,” says Schaefer. “There’s only a very short in-store set-up time because we have to do all of the set-ups during business hours. So, we work overnight. When the store is closed, we go in and work. That’s why we pre-build everything, do the programming in our warehouse and then just install the final product in the store.” AIR MAX DAY 2025 Nike celebrated Air Max Day 2025 on 26 March last year by launching the Air Max Dn8, shoes that feature eight-tube
He explains how the project was initially new territory for the company. “When we started working on HOI, it involved a lot of exposed technical equipment,” he says. “In the past, we would be working on things like corporate events, which would usually require a really clean set- up. You weren’t allowed to show a cable, so you are hiding cables everywhere.” Nike took an altogether different approach because it wanted to stress the importance of innovation. “It wanted to emphasise this with the campaigns,” says Schaefer. “Nike did not want to have the LED back wall covered for example. Instead, it wanted the cables and the structures to be visible for it to really appear like a technical house of innovation. We even ended up adding fake cables for show.” At the time of writing, satis&fy has delivered 35 campaigns for Nike’s House of Innovation, and the number is set to grow. “Each campaign is unique,” adds Schaefer. “Some are simple. From a
technical standpoint, we maybe just provide power for some LED strips and simple LED tubes. Then there are the more complex campaigns, such as the Air for Athletes store takeover for the 2024 Paris Olympics.” With the sports event taking place just down the road in Paris, it was paramount Nike stay ahead of the curve. The focus was on four brand-new models of sports shoe: Pegasus 41 and Alphafly 3 (running shoes), Mercurial Vapor (football boots) and GT Hustle 3 (basketball footwear). Schaefer explains how that campaign was all about users being able to try on shoes and go into a special try-on space in the retail store. “We created a room- within-a-room installation featuring a high-res LED screen at the back. It had a 1.2mm pixel pitch, mirrored side walls and surround sound.” According to Schaefer, the most challenging element was incorporating haze into a retail environment. “Because of the sprinkler fire alarm system, the fog
We reuse a lot of materials, and there are lots of displays that, once built and used,
are then implemented into future designs
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