Executive Summary
From Concept to Community - a high-energy partnership with London’s vibrant run club communities, centred around Stanley’s “For Every Move” messaging.
By connecting London’s coffee and running culture, the café was transformed into a week-long clubhouse for the city. A curated Run of Show brought together co-hosted runs, guided sessions and workshops, creating a space for people to come together, move and connect.
Working alongside Neon Bloom, O12 delivered the physical touchpoints through considered event experience design and a clear approach to activation design and production - supporting a dynamic, community-led programme.
The result was a pop-up event experience that didn’t just showcase a product - it built a community, celebrated movement and became a content-generating powerhousethat delivered a highly engaging experiential brand activation within the Selfridges space.
Key Takeaways
• Event experience design delivered within a live Selfridges pop-up environment
• Community-led activation connecting London’s running and coffee culture
• Influencer gifting activation supported by bespoke, localised merchandise
• Three distinct events across the week driving sustained engagement
• Merchandise extended the life of the activation through visibility across the city
The Challenge
When Stanley sought to activate a pop-up café at Selfridges, the challenge was clear: to leverage a temporary physical build into an engaging and relevant cultural moment.
The goal wasn’t just to sell product but to ignite a localised energy in London, bridging the gap between global brand prestige and authentic community connection.
Working within a dual-agency model, the challenge was also to ensure the physical outputs aligned seamlessly with the wider strategy, while being delivered within a tight timeline.
Our Response
O12 delivered the physical layer of the activation, focusing on the design and production of bespoke, localised merchandise and gifting.
Working in tandem with Neon Bloom’s strategy, concepting and community partnerships, we created a suite of branded assets - including T-shirts, tote bags, loyalty cardsand stickers - designed to support the programme across the week.
Our approach to activation design and production ensured each element was delivered clearly and efficiently, while reinforcing the identity of the activation and its connection to London’s running culture.
Commercial Impact
• Highly engaged audiences across all events
• Strong influencer participation and extended reach
• Social engagement and content amplification driven by community participation
• Merchandise increased visibility as running clubs moved through the city
The Concept
The concept brought together local London running communities, Stanley’s Café To-Go product and cultural touchpoints including coffee, music and movement.
These elements acted as “the glue”, forming a single, cohesive concept that connected people through shared experience.
The café became a temporary clubhouse for the city - a space shaped by participation, not just presence.
Execution & Delivery
Delivered within a tight timeframe, the project required a fast and focused production approach.
O12 created customised brand assets and illustrations celebrating the activation in a unique and playful way, ensuring all outputs were tailored to the brand, the location and the audience.
Key elements included:
• Premium T-shirts and tote bags designed to be kept and worn beyond the event
• Loyalty cards and stickers supporting engagement across multiple touchpoints
• Bespoke, localised merchandise designed for distribution across three key events
Each element was designed to integrate seamlessly into the live environment, supporting the flow of the experience as participants arrived and moved through the programme.
Designing for Real Use
The focus was to create unique giveaways with minimal waste that would live on beyond the event.
Rather than disposable outputs, merchandise was designed to be kept, worn and used - extending the life of the activation and reinforcing brand presence through everyday use.
Outcome
The result was a high-energy, community-led pop-up event experience that built a genuine connection between Stanley and its audience.
It brought together people, movement and culture by turning a temporary café into a shared experience that travelled beyond the space itself.
Through strong participation, local relevance and considered physical outputs, the activation became a content-generating powerhouse that amplified reach and created lasting impact.
