KIA Stinger Salons
With the launch of the Stinger vehicle, our goal was to create a unique, experiential environment where guests could engage with the vehicle. Utilizing the latest technology in gaming and virtual reality – guests were able to experience the vehicle in environments that reached beyond the salon’s walls. Our Stinger Experience Salons succeeded in generating a greater appreciation for all the technological advancements that the Stinger offered.
Client Implications
A Salon to create an engaging and memorable experiential retail experience.
Our agency provided turnkey solutions for Kia, resulting in the successful launch of Stinger Experience Salons at 8 retail locations in less than 6 months across the U.S. We developed and managed the site selections, prototype design, site specific architectural packages, construction management, and immersive virtual reality experience and racing game for each location. We created a consistent brand awareness across the nation with the entire budget controlled by Kia.
Design Concept
The Stinger experience is about minimalism, simplicity, and purity in form. These characteristics unify together in the environment to offer visitors a space for the curious to roam, gain insight, and take away a fresh perspective on what the Kia brand has to offer with the all-new, Stinger. Within the Pop-Up salon, vehicle presentation in the environment is the key ingredient to redefining KIA’s ambiance. The boutique showcases the vehicle as the exquisite centerpiece of the space through careful positioning.
The implemented prototypes were based strategically on each site layout, modifying each environment for the unique mall locations.
In order to truly capture the essence of experiential retailing, each idea was surveyed and completely designed in virtual reality allowing designers to be immersed within the salon’s environment from anywhere at any time in the country. Any changes to the renderings were altered in real-time, directly in front of the client. Everything visualized within the VR equipment was deployed directly into the salon.
Fluid forms create a red envelope that wraps the feature vehicle, creating a runway and focal point around the Stinger. The experience is layered with brand-specific forms and materiality to create areas within the space which capture and inform consumers.
Customers enter into Stinger’s culture and embark on interactive adventures through VR simulations while physically examining, touching, and sitting within the vehicle. The design draws the consumer’s attention to the environment while not only demonstrating the value of owning the vehicle but more importantly, the value of being a part of KIA’s unique lifestyle.
