Wicker Park

Creating the neighborhood feels for adidas in Wicker Park, Chicago.

What We Did‍

Strategy
Design
Production
Visual Merchandising
Production & Keylining
Retouching
Prototyping
Site Surveying
Installation
Fulfillment

A Global Brand Made Local‍

As a worldwide brand powerhouse, adidas understands the value of establishing a cultural presence where global opinions are shaped and shared. Planting flagship stores in key cities is one of the ways they create cultural currency on an international level.

When it came time to open an adidas Originals flagship store in the Wicker Park area of Chicago, they asked us to design a retail experience that would quickly assimilate them into the community. They wanted to fit in with the neighborhood instead of forcing it to fit them.

We knew that successfully melding with the community wouldn't be easy. So, we got to work by immersing ourselves in all that is the Wicker Park neighborhood. We quickly saw why adidas selected this community. Young and eclectic, dotted with art galleries, restaurants, boutiques, live music, and nightlife, Wicker Park draws culture makers and movers. And we swiftly engaged several of them in our ethnographic research.

We discovered a community filled with young people possessing vision, passion, and energy. That's why we grounded our design strategy in an idea called Heart & Hustle. This notion ignited brainstorms that turned into sketches, made life-like through 3D renders, and turned real through skillful production.

The store design mixes Wicker Park's heart and Chicago's pulse. The understated exterior makes the store feel like it's been a part of the neighborhood for decades. Inside, we increased the sense of place at every touchpoint by bringing in essential pieces of the city that felt raw and original, like adidas.

We produced a custom speaker wall in a nod to the old record store that once inhabited the space and created fitting rooms that pay homage to popular shoes like the Stan Smith and the NMD. We made sure to design plenty of hang space to promote community. We even enlisted Tubs, a Chicago-based "calli-graffiti" artist, to inject Chicago street art into restrooms.

Adidas unveiled the store to rave reviews from outlets like Complex, High Snobiety, and Hypebeast. And social media lit up with tons of posts and mentions from prominent players across the cultural realms of sports, style, and entertainment.‍