Want to hear about a new brand experience? You may not have heard of it, but Millennium Mills is one of the last untouched ruins in London. By Matt Press
Want to hear about a new brand experience? You may not have heard of it, but Millennium Mills is one of the last untouched ruins in London. A derelict flour mill on the south side of the Royal Victoria Dock alongside the newly built Britannia village, the Mills are currently undergoing a major renovation.
Why are we going on about an old Mill you ask?
The Mills couldn’t remain abandoned, given the capital’s lack of land, and so proposals were approved to develop a new site called Silvertown Quays, which will comprise of offices, housing, a tech hub and state-of-the-art “brand experience pavilions”.
What is a “brand experience pavilion”?
A brand experience pavilion is a flexible, large-scale space which businesses can use to showcase the future of their products and engage with consumers, through education, entertainment and customisation. These spaces are dedicated to building emotional connections between brands and people.
Brand experience pavilions literally immerse consumers in a brand, with visual, audio and interactive stimuli.
Stand-alone brand experience pavilions already exist in Europe, such as BMW World in Munich and the Siemens Crystal in London, but Silvertown Quays will be the world’s first “global brand centre”.
Jordan Brand
A recent example of a brand experience pavilion done right is Jordan Brand’s NBA All-Star Pearl Pavilion.
To celebrate the NBA All-Star weekend festivities in New York and their 30th anniversary, Jordan Brand set up a unique consumer brand experience across the street from Madison Square Garden – the mecca of basketball.
The space paid tribute to some of the brand’s greatest moments, with a wealth of items from the Jordan Brand archives on display, showcasing the evolution of performance footwear.
Fans also had the chance to capture their own customized “I’m not Michael, I am Jordan” photographs and test one of the four “Pearl Pack” performance shoes in the skills training section.
Furthermore, an innovative digital “Last Shot” experience let visitors recreate some of Michael Jordan’s greatest game-winning shots. Check it out here.
The Pearl Pavilion retail store also carried a curated selection of footwear and apparel releases designed especially for the weekend.
Why are brand experience pavilions successful?
Placing a live brand experience at the heart of your brand creates a powerful way to not only connect with your audience, but to involve them. When consumers are able to physically experience your brand, they’re more likely to share the experience, fuelling both word of mouth and online conversation. And, if the idea is compelling enough, your live experience can create huge reach through PR channels too.
Hotcow is a non-traditional creative agency that specialises in experiential marketing that goes viral. Our campaigns generate buzz through crowd participation, PR and content sharing. Contact us on 0207 5030442 .