For this project we were approached by agency This Is Mission on behalf of their client Cath Kidston to design and build a giant present for a Christmas press event to mark the launch of the global retailer’s flagship store in London during the festive period.
Our brief was to fabricate a Christmas present large enough to house two London taxi’s for the activation and to manage the reveal to the press on the live day. Our client required a solution which could be constructed in a tight build window overnight to ensure the general public were not aware of the stunt until the morning rush hour. Our brief also required the sides of the present to be able to be controlled remotely, so they could collapse outwards to reveal the contents inside. Additional requests included the inclusion of a giant bow and gift tag which functioned as a count down timer.
To achieve the end result we utilised our unique modular steel build system as the framework. Measuring a huge 5mx5m in footprint and standing over 3m in height this imposing Christmas present really made an impact on early morning commuters. The cladding to the unit was designed and pre-fabricated over 2 weeks by our in-house production team whereas the oversized bow and digital gift tag were constructed in partnership with The Halo Group and prop fabricator Tristan Cochrane. Once activated by remote, the sides collapsed on cue revealing two branded taxis which proceeded to drive out of the present much to the crowd’s delight. These taxis offered free journeys across London to the Cath Kidston store in the lead up to Christmas. The brand reported excellent ROI from the campaign with the new store experiencing a strong start to trading immediately after the activation.
