HOUSE OF VANS
Brooklyn, NY
Campaign Summary
Vans, a dominant brand in the California sneaker scene, needs an East Coast presence. We needed a home aligned with the brand and was a culture and trendsetter. It had to be Brooklyn. In 2010, we found the ideal location for the new House Of Vans in Brooklyn, a 25,000-square-foot space in Greenpoint BK featuring an indoor bowl, an outdoor street course, and a concert stage. For opening night, we showcased hip-hop icons Mos Def and Public Enemy, wowing a VIP list of 900. The event started with Vans skate team stars, including Tony Alva and Steve Caballero, unveiling the indoor bowl and street course.
DJ sets by John Cardiel and Tony Alva, along with artist Mike Giant's live creation, set the stage. Mos Def surprised with a captivating performance, leading to an explosive show by Public Enemy, concluding with a reggae mix from The Blackouts.
The launch of the House of Vans kicked off an East Coast migration that led to new market share.
OVERVIEW
Vans is an iconic Southern California lifestyle brand in the California skate scene. The objective was to expand the brand to the East Coast. The concept connected Van's Southern California vibe with the New York trend-setting, counter-culture community and used Brooklyn as the core.
When the borough exploded with hipsters, art, hip-hop, music, and many multicultural elements, Vans thought it was the perfect place to make their East Coast home.
THE CULTURE
Brooklyn
Vans selected Greenpoint, Brooklyn, as their permanent home. We gutted an old 25,000 sq. ft. warehouse and renovated it to house the venue.
Vans built stages for music, a skate bowl, and other communal areas to gather the target community. The warehouse was low-key on the outside but high-energy on the inside. It was a perfect spot to announce the brand has arrived and begin a long-term relationship with the community.
Music
Local hip-hop legends Public Enemy and Mos Def performed during the launch event. Their appearance was a surprise-and-delight feature that led to overwhelming buzz and chatter across social media and the community. Additional music guests included the Blackouts, Atiba, and Ako Jefferson, then eased everyone into the night with a reggae-infused mix.
Skate
This community is fiercely loyal, and their underground athletes tremendously influence their behavior. We brought in athletes from the Vans skate team, including Tony Alva, Steve Caballero, John Cardiel, Geoff Rowley, Jeff Grosso, Tony Trujillo, Dustin Dollin, Omar Hassan, Anthony Van Engelen, Johnny Layton, Gilbert Crockett, Andrew Allen, and Curren Caples.
Art
Part of building a brand with a creative community is giving them a place to create. Outside of the launch event, this was a spot for the community.
Street artist Mike Giant created a custom piece on the back wall by the bowl. We made the walls open for local artists to create as they see fit. They were free to create and make it "their" spot.
The skaters had a place to stop by, hang out, and skate. House of Vans became "their" local skate spot.
