Peak Performance opens virtual pop-up stores in the middle of nowhere

Swedish outdoor clothing brand Peak Performance has opened virtual pop-up stores in Europe, Japan and the Middle East.

To access them, customers have to practise their favourite sport. This is because the stores are located in the middle of nowhere. They have been selected all over the world for the magic panorama they offer: in a golf in Dubai, Mount Hokkaido in Japan or even the Lac Blanc in France. When customers arrive at the store, they log on to the CatchMagicHour.com site. When their position has been checked by GPS, they receive free products of the brand.

However, time is short. Because these digital sales outlets are only open two hours a day: during the “golden hours” of photographers, namely one hour after sunrise and one hour before sunset.

With its “Magic Hour Store” campaign, outdoor clothing brand Peak Performance is differentiating itself by not copying the classic strategy of sports equipment manufacturers. The latter have swept into the Internet, launching applications that monitor and analyse sports performance, like Nike+ Running, miCoach or My Asics. With or without a connected bracelet, they brand themselves as digital sports coaches. Nike indeed goes further by making its community tangible through sessions or running training it organizes in an from its sales outlets.

The Swedish brand has made a simple choice to reach its cycling, golfing, running, rambling or walking customers: encourage them to go off the beaten track and break with habit. By directly addressing their sport, the brand reasserts its message, according to Philip Arvidson, the artistic director of the agency partnering Peak Performance. “The Magic Hour encourages people to get out of bed early for a morning round of golf or late evening run. Those who make the effort can not only claim great Peak Performance gear but also discover beautiful hand-picked locations. What could be a better way to experience the heart and soul of this outdoor brand.”

Experience is indeed the key message here! Getting free gear is of secondary importance. This is about partnering sportsmen and sportswomen by offering them a challenge equal to their dreams: discovering unique scenery and sharing it with others. More than 1,600 photographs tagged #catchmagichour have been posted on Instagram. Enough to form a solid and qualified base for structuring the future community of enthusiasts and customers.