Play! Activation
The Challenge
Helinox's core audience was serious outdoor enthusiasts drawn to ultralight chairs and gear. Launching PLAY—a collection of packable games (YutNori, StringTrees, HeliDrop, HeliDisc)—required broadening appeal to families, youth, and casual campers. The goal: Showcase "fun and togetherness" at a heightened outdoor level, fostering community and play without losing premium Helinox quality.
Key pain points:
- Audience Expansion: Shift from solo/adventure focus to family/youth-oriented experiences—needed visuals and content evoking laughter, competition, and group joy.
- Category Momentum: New-to-brand games risked low awareness; required bold retail presence plus digital education to convert curiosity into purchases.
- Education & Engagement: Shoppers needed quick onboarding (setup/play) in-store and deeper storytelling online to reduce hesitation and build emotional connection.
- Retail + Digital Synergy: In-store signage had to drive immediate trials, while a dedicated landing page provided scalable, always-on learning about individual games and the category's "play outdoors together" story.
The brief: Build on packaging's fun, interactive aesthetic to create banners, posters, billboards, unique in-store quick-guide signage, and a dedicated landing page that let customers explore each game, learn how to play, and understand the PLAY category's purpose.
My Design Approach
Leveraging the established PLAY packaging language (vibrant color-blocking for game types, dynamic icons, action shots, and Helinox's clean/rugged typography), I scaled it across physical and digital channels. A dedicated effort went into designing the special landing page (play.helinox.com or similar) as the central educational hub—mobile-first, visually immersive, and story-driven—to complement in-store touchpoints.
Key Design Phases:
- Multi-Channel Mapping: Identified retail (banners, signage) and digital (landing page) touchpoints; mapped unified user journeys from shelf discovery → quick in-store guide → deeper online exploration.
- Visual Extension: Adapted color system and icons across all assets; used inclusive family/youth photography with group action shots to evoke community.
- In-Store Quick-Guide Signage: Modular step-by-step panels (setup icons, 3–5 rules, scoring) as floor/wall displays—scannable in 10–15 seconds.
- Dedicated Landing Page: Designed a hero section introducing the "PLAY Anywhere" category story (lightweight fun that brings people together outdoors); individual game with dedicated vignette demos, rule breakdowns, setup videos/illustrations, and "Why PLAY?" storytelling; seamless ties to ecommerce and retail locator.
- Consistency & Iteration: Ensured shared elements (PLAY logo, Helinox motifs, playful gradients) for cohesion; prototyped in Figma, tested with mock retail setups and user flows, refined for accessibility and fast loads.
The result: A cohesive ecosystem where in-store signage sparked immediate interest and the landing page provided depth—educating, inspiring, and converting across channels.
Results & Impact
Launched Spring 2025, the activation—powered by in-store energy and the dedicated landing page—fueled a standout category debut with rapid consumer adoption and organic buzz.
Key Metrics & Feedback:
- Launch Strength: Immediate 5-star reviews across retailers and Helinox channels, praising ease, fun, portability, and family appeal—shoppers frequently mentioned discovering details via the landing page.
- Digital Engagement: Landing page drove significant traffic from in-store QR codes/social; High dwell time on game how-to sections, with strong conversion to product views/purchases.
- Influencer Coverage: Multiple YouTube personalities and outdoor creators featured the games (unboxings, play demos, family camping integrations), often referencing the landing page for rules/story.
- Retail Momentum: Signage increased dwell time and pickup rates; Partners reported strong sell-through and repeat interest.
- Category Success: Contributed to quick adoption of the PLAY line (four initial games, plans for 2026 expansions); Elevated Helinox's family/youth perception.
The project not only launched PLAY successfully but created a scalable activation model—retail + digital education—that Helinox can reuse for future category expansions.
