The Sleek Journal: August Edition
It’s August, and we’re back with another issue of the Sleek Journal, where we share everything that has captured our imagination here at Sleek HQ, from exciting experiences to interesting ideas.
This month, spheres have been sparking inspiration across the industry, from the Sphere in Las Vegas to Coldplay’s eco-friendly ‘Music of the Spheres’ tour. Plus, we take a look at how London’s little museums use space wisely.
We hope you’re just as excited by these stories as we are. And, hey, if you’d like to learn more about what makes us tick or how we could bring inspiration to your brand, get in touch.
Oatly x Malibu = Paradise
Not only has Oatly found a way to make delicious soft serve, but, thanks to Malibu, they’ve also found a way to bring a tropical resort to London. It’s a Deadpool x Wolverine-level team-up of the refreshments world.
To celebrate the Malibu-flavoured soft serve that people didn’t know they needed, until now, Oatly launched Paradise Arches in Shoreditch. This pop-up experience delivered a unique extravaganza each night for 16 nights, bringing a slightly different feeling to each date.
Under the tropical-orange arches, attendees could experience live bands, DJs, pilates classes, hip hop brunches, cabarets, and even speed dating. Along with these interesting experiences, guests could taste Oatly’s and Malibu’s soft serve ice cream, tasting it while immersed in the party atmosphere that it was designed for.
Our technical production manager, Amy, attended this activation on the night it featured Frame hosted Pilates with a disco twist. The riviera offered pinstripe orange seating with light boxes and disco balls, and the pilates instructor sported a retro orange tank top.
Amy said, “Very much felt like I’d been transported to paradise as the sun was shining and the venue branding with bright oranges and yellows definitely transported me to ‘paradise arches’.”
Learn More
Adele’s Munich Arena: Pop Goes Pop-Up
We’re no stranger to pop-up stores, activations, and launches. But, we can’t help but be impressed by Adele taking music pop-ups to the max with her purpose-built stadium in Munich.
Sleek team members Lou and Abi were in Germany last weekend to catch the living legend in concert - the first time she’s playing live in continental Europe since 2016. And, to mark the occasion, no existing stadium was quite right. So, Adele indulged in the idea of creating a pop-up stadium, designed for the exact show she wanted to produce.
Adele has ten shows planned between the 2nd and 31st of August, thrilling 75,000 fans per night with a hit-heavy setlist of 20 songs, ranging from her early singles like ‘Chasing Pavements’ to instant classics from ‘30’.
With immersive video and audio filling the custom-built Munich Messe Arena, Adele just took pop-up events to new heights.
Abi said “The show really felt like something special that far exceeded all expectations. Adele World was a wonderful way to immerse the audience within a mini festival which made for a full day out, and hugely raised the bar for music concerts alike. It’s quite exciting to see how the music industry will respond to this and if there will be anything like it in the future.”
learn more
Coldplay’s Promise to Eco-Unfriendly Touring: We’ll Fix You
Coldplay are lowering their touring carbon footprint… with feet! In fact, their most recent world tour has set a new standard for eco-friendly concerts.
In 2021, Chris Martin promised that all future tours had to be sustainable and that their Music of the Spheres tour would reduce carbon emissions by at least 50%. And, the band delivered, showing a 59% reduction in emissions compared with their 2016-17 tour.
How did they do it? By harnessing the kinetic energy that their audiences naturally create. The band introduced kinetic dancefloors and stationary bikes, which power smaller parts of the stage as well as charge the crew’s equipment - all through movement.
What’s more, the band has promised to plant a tree for each ticket sold. That means the Earth will benefit from 7 million new trees, and Coldplay are adding green alongside Yellow on their list of colours they’re making famous.
Learn more
Tiny Spaces, Big Impact
Experiences don’t have to be staged in expansive areas to be immersive. Just ask London’s small museums.
While the city’s large museums like the Tate and the Natural History Museum may draw all the attention (and the tourists), its tiny museums both pay homage to its glorious past and highlight one of London's special qualities; vivacious life can exist in very small spaces.
Hidden in small buildings, out-of-the-way locations, and even underground tunnels, London’s small museums can captivate attendees with niche offerings. Visitors can enjoy a connection to the glory days of the silver screen in the Cinema Museum, relive the glamour of early commercial flight at Croydon’s Historic Airport, experience the underground Mail Rail in the Postal Museum, and tap into the grisly history of the Thames River Police at their museum in Wapping.
Being able to create emotional connections in these small areas is a skill we nurture here at Sleek.
Learn more
Photo Credit: CNN
Hewlett Packard Enterprises and the ‘Sphere Effect’
Keynote events are officially thinking outside the box. As Hewlett Packard Enterprise has proved, the thinking behind modern keynotes can be far more spherical.
HPE made history with the first corporate keynote at the Sphere in Las Vegas during HPE Discover 2024. This groundbreaking event showcased the Sphere's state-of-the-art technology, including the largest LED screen on Earth and immersive sound systems, redefining corporate storytelling.
HPE's CMO, Jim Jackson, emphasised the bold move as part of HPE's rapid transformation, engaging new audiences and illustrating the future of AI-driven enterprises. The Sphere's unparalleled capabilities created a spectacular, immersive experience that set a new standard for corporate events.
Learn more
A Must Visit: King’s Cross Souvenir Shop: Seaside in the City
‘Bringing half the beach back with you’ is something that the King’s Cross Souvenir Shop has taken to heart. This retail pop-up has brought the beach back to the bustle of London.
With fabrication plucked straight out of a cartoonist’s luminous dreams of the seaside and seasoned with French Riviera style stripes, this beachfront experience is set up to instantly spark an emotional connection with anyone who steps inside. And, to ensure the souvenirs on offer inspire on-the-spot purchases, they’ve been custom-designed by some of London’s most exciting creative talents.
This pop-up retail experience fits into the King’s Cross Riviera theme that also offers free live music, games, and refreshing Pimm’s in the sunshine, all of which can be experienced at Granary Square until 8 September.