coupler pdf 8.10.09

2527 n. san fernando roadlos angeles, ca 90065

323.482.6888telewww.couplercreative.comweb

experiential spacesart installations

retail environmentsevent management

photographygraphic design

Coupler Creative, Inc. is an independent design firm, specializing in the conceptualization and execution of retail installations and guerrilla marketing for the past six years. While working with multiple clients like NIKE, Converse, Adidas, RDF Media as well as individual retailers and marketing agencies, Coupler Creative is housed in a well-equipped 5,000 square foot shop near downtown Los Angeles and now includes a large in-house design space. Additional clients they have partnered with include OBE, NRG, Ignited Minds, Imaginary Forces, Merisel, Flux,Here Now, Nemo, Radar, Jelly, Gallagher and Blueprint Collective. Coupler Creative produces anything from design itself to heavy logistical construction and fabrication for installation in boutiques across the nation. Now with increased studio and shop space, Coupler Creative can easily support the logistics of monthly installations at various locations. Coupler Creative has custom built regulation basketball courts, indoor soccer fields and completely transformed the famed Ricardo Montalban Theater in Hollywood to support NIKE’s involvement in the Beijing Olympics and the installation still remains as a center for local commerce. With the owner’s background in TV & Film Production, and creating environments & art direction on Discovery Channel shows like Junkyard Wars, Zak Hawthorne has honed his ability to react quickly to tough assignments at multiple locations. Coupler Creative has an expandable, hard working crew, most of who have been together since founding the company. With their expertise, Coupler Creative has collaborated with designers, artists, and agencies to create a compelling story tailored to the needs of each client. Clients can rely upon Coupler Creative for a strong, hip taste level utilizing clean and relevant design, delivered repeatedly on budget and on tight deadlines.

Coupler Creative provides marketing solutions & strategies for high-profile installations. They manage each project from the beginning to end, from the planning and design, to the execution and management of each brand. They have partners lined up to manage events, and will act as a production manager in making sure their clients goals are met. Coupler houses their own insurance, providing a sense of security for those they work with and look forward to continued business with NIKE.

introduction

experiential spaces football club los angeles

phase 1 phase 2

Nike’s Football Club was an experiential space built in a storefront on Melrose Blvd. in

Los Angeles, CA. The concept was to launch 3 different exhibits with complete transformation

over a 3-month period set around the 2006 World Cup. The first space, “Futureopolis”

was an art gallery with photography from CR Stecyk III, highlighting Los Angeles and the

soccer culture within.

After a week of construction we debuted Joga Bonito, featuring soccer-inspired artwork

from various international artists (Boogie, Kress, Yamandu Roos, Cuprien Gaillard,

Tim & Barry and Tanino Liberatore). The centerpiece of each room (8 rooms total) was

a 1000% Bearbrick painted in his team jersey colors, hung from the ceiling with walls covered

in each of the Nike team graphic.

Art Direction/Construction/Print/Installation

experiential spaces football club los angeles

phase 3

After another week of construction, the World Cup viewing room opened! Featuring bi-weekly viewings of the 2006 World Cup, hundreds of supporters showed up to cheer for their team during the broadcast. The space featured 5 rows of aluminum benches and tons of standing room. Photos of players from the 8 Nike National Teams were enlarged and printed on walls.

Art Direction/Construction/Print/Installation

experiential spaces 144lab/be true los angeles

BE TRUE at 144lab was designed to support the release of the Vintage Nike Dunk High. Working

off creative elements from the Nike Brand Design Team, we put our own finishing touches on this

space creating it a hit! A classic basketball court floor was removed from a local middle

school and repurposed for the install to create texture and provide a vintage look.

Art Direction/Construction/Mural PaintingPrint/Installation

retail support be true los angeles/san francisco

huf san francisco

sportie la

undftd silverlake

huf san francisco

Art Direction/Mural Painting/Installation

experiential spaces 144lab/being true los angeles

The second stop on a 2008 cross-country tour featured 144Lab. The show, under curator

Aaron Rose, showcased 22 photos shot from 22 artists over the past 22 years. When Aaron was looking for a new substrate to use for exhibiting

these prints we recommended face mounting a print to a polished piece of acrylic. It made for a very clean installation and created a strong

juxtaposition to the gritty photos.

Art Direction/Construction/Installation

experiential spaces 144lab/city dunk/boneyards los angeles

The Nike City Dunk was released to 7 locations worldwide, accenting different colors at each location. The Los Angeles sneaker featured a fitting burnt orange color. After speaking with Nike, they recommended that a bright Southern California sunset would compliment the shoe perfectly. Upon completion of the sunset mural, we installed a telephone pole and telephone lines to hang the footwear, creating a perfect look to display LA’s City Dunk.

Boneyards was collaboration between Stussy/Neighborhood/Nike and featured the Blazer. The task was to build a seedy carnival atmosphere and we delivered fire breathing carnies, other circus freaks, a live heavy metal band and circus games. In addition, we built a silent movie theatre projecting the movie “Carnival of Souls”.

Art Direction/Construction/InstallationPhotography

city dunk boneyards

experiential spaces blu house/ginga venice beach

The popular Venice Beach was a stop on the world tour of “Ginga”, celebrating the

soul of Brazilian football. Working closely with Brazilian artists OS Gemeos, we produced

8 houses for them to use as a canvas for their original artwork. After the houses were

completed we placed them in the Blu House for a month long installation.

Art Direction/Construction/Installation/Logistics

experiential spaces blu house/stussy world tour venice beach

event photos by angela daves-haley

With the Stussy World Tour making a stop at the Venice Blu House, we worked with curator Aaron Rose to create an exhibit. In collaboration, we installed over 20 pieces of art inside the space, created a working drycleaner conveyor in a separate room, and simultaneously prepped the house for artist KRINK to do his work outside. We needed a solution for displaying different elements from the tour. The answer was a raised acrylic floor with 15 boxes showcasing Nike product, artists’ work and collateral.

Art Direction/Construction/Installation

experiential spaces blu house/wk interact venice beach

Nike teamed up with NYC based artist WK INTERACT to create an exhibit focused on

Kobe Bryant. Along with construction, we worked closely with WK to install all his art pieces

throughout the house.

Installation/Construction/Logistics

experiential spaces blu house/the rec venice beach

The REC was designed as a retail pop-up shop based at the Venice Blu House to support Nike’s Run Hit Remix. Working closely with Ignited Minds, Coupler Creative was hired to bring their illustrations to life.

Art Direction/ConstructionMural Painting/Logistics

experiential spaces the montalban hollywood

08.08.08 was the day the Summer Olympics in Beijing kicked off and The Montalban opened its doors to consumers globally, with tourists and

Nike fans alike. We teamed up with Nike on another experiential pop-up space to celebrate

the launch of the NSW line. The dream was a highly visible theater in Hollywood and after a

few months, Nike found the Montalban and collaborated with Coupler Creative to make

this dream come true.

Art Direction/ConstructionFixture Design/Retail Installation

experiential spaces the montalban hollywood

space photography by jonas lara

experiential spaces the point hollywood

To celebrate the 25th anniversary of Nike Air Force 1, we built The Point. An art gallery, retail and event space. From previous work with

Nike on experiential spaces, Coupler Creative was the perfect fit. The space was a very rough

building, taking it down to the studs and bringing it back to life within two months.

In addition to construction we built the only Nike ID space on the west coast and erected

an 8,000 square foot climate-controlled tent with a custom, regulation, black Nike basketball court housed inside. The Point was open for 14

months offering programming virtually 7 days a week.

Art Direction/ConstructionArt Installation/Fixture Design/Logistics

experiential spaces the point/nike id space hollywood

experiential spaces the point/art installiations hollywood

Nike wanted a DNA strand sculpture for the first installation at The Point. The idea was to connect the DNA with the Air Force 1, which is

essential to the fabric of Nike. We answered with a twenty-foot sculpture of acrylic tubes to simulate the DNA strand. Housed inside the

sculpture were 200 AF1’s borrowed from local collectors for events.

Art Direction/Installation

experiential spaces the point/art installations hollywood

Air Force 1 Barkley Launch1Love Art Installation

art installations re-run los angeles/portland/miami

Nike Re-Run was a traveling art installation by curator Aaron Rose. This exhibit was centered

on the launch of the Vintage Nike running footwear line, a product that replicated the

first shoe released by Nike’s Founder, Bill Bowerman. The show included stops at

Ford-Brady Gallery in Los Angeles, CA, Audio Cinema/MFNW in Portland, OR and

Art Nada in Miami, FL.

Art Direction/Installation/Logistics

art installations re-run/retail support los angeles/san francisco/portland

In conjunction with RE-RUN art installations, Coupler Creative worked closely with Nike to build excitement and buzz around Los Angeles. We utilized a 1972 VW Nike themed bus to schedule mobile events at high traffic areas, such as the Rose Bowl and local retail venues. A mural was also put up in the heart of Melrose Boulevard. In addition, we displayed parts of the VW bus as design elements in eight stores across the West Coast to support the launch.

Art Direction/Retail Installation/Logistics

art installations being true los angeles/san francisco/portland/miami

Once again, we worked with curator Aaron Rose to launch Being True in NYC and traveled west

to LA. With stops at 144Lab in Los Angeles, Hamburger Eyes Gallery in San Francisco,

Wonder Ballroom in Portland, and the last stop at the after party for Art Nada in Miami.


art installations being true los angeles/san francisco/portland/miami

art installations white dunk los angeles

Collaborating with Italian Design Studio Satoria, Coupler Creative was brought in for installation

and logistics on this massive world tour. After the installation at LACE Gallery in Los Angeles,

we traveled down the road for a more intimate install at the Blu House on Venice Beach.


art installations blu house/idunk venice beach

retail environments undftd air force 1 los angeles/santa monica

With the release of the UNDFTD Air Force 1 in 2006, Nike wanted to fully focus on the distribution of their signature footwear.

With that in mind, we closed off the entire store and installed themed graphics from the

sneaker in front of footwear walls to create a corridor. The result was a very intimate setting,

with consumers expressing emotional ties to the product.


retail environments opening ceremony kiosk los angeles/nyc

To support the Nike Sportswear launch and the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, we collaborated with Denton-Cardew Design to conceptualize, build and install two rolling kiosks at the Opening Ceremony in LA and NYC. The kiosks were handmade in aluminum and powder coated white. It was built to showcase Nike Olympic inspired products and be the focal point in each retail space.

Art Direction/Fabrication/Installation/Logistics

retail environments one time only los angeles/san francisco/san diego

With the retail launch of the “One Time Only” Pack, Coupler Creative was tapped by Nike to

install in eight stores across the West Coast. We took elements from the design and custom-tailored the creative to fit each location and

venue, in both Los Angeles and San Diego.


retail environments brasil soccer collection los angeles/san francisco

To celebrate Brazilian soccer culture, Nike asked Coupler Creative to design and install custom displays highlighting the history of the Brazilian National Team and their 5 World Cup wins.


retail environments 21 mercer/nsw collection nyc

For an installation supporting the NSW Collection at 21 Mercer, we had a great time

working with photography from Rob Abyeta, supplied by Nike. We installed tiles to create

a 3D sculpture of the photographs, and produced this with a tight deadline.

Art Direction/Print/Installation

retail installations 21 mercer/nsw black collection nyc

The goal of this project was to highlight the Nike “All Black” Pack from NSW. After consulting with Nike on Christmas Eve, we decided to take a black sample color palette from the Pantone book and enlarging it on tile. This created a very clean and simple in-store execution.


retail environments 21 mercer/nsw collection nyc

We picked the brains of some of the Nations Leading Army Surplus Collectors to get

direction for this 21 MERCER installation. Each box above the timeline houses a different

version of the M Series Field Jacket, leading up to the NSW packable M65 in the front

window.


retail environments 21 mercer/firefly gradient nyc

We utilized nature as inspiration for the in-store design, launching the Nike Firefly Gradient jacket. In the front window we installed an interpretation of an entomology case with the jacket placed prominently around bugs and other natural elements.


art installations room72/nike dunk los angeles

With the launch of the Vintage Nike Dunk line, we collaborated with Nike to design and

install at ROOM72, a Nike Entertainment Marketing space in Los Angeles. Each color

represents the colorway from each footwear.


art installations room72 los angeles

grammy dunk

dunk nike+

kobe tech pack

retail environments ctrs los angeles/nyc

With simultaneous installs in LA and NYC, the Cutters “CTRS” was a project based around two designers from each city. We utilized the logo as the staple of this installation.


Retail Environments livestrong x nsw greatest hits los angeles

While seven-time Tour de France winner Lance Armstrong competed in the Alps, Nike dropped the final of four new shoes of the LIVESTRONGxNSW Greatest Hits release in the US market. Utilizing laser engraved bike saddles with Mister Cartoon’s “LA” icon, Coupler Creative made use of an integrated design for each shoe in the series. Next came the FLOM Dunk release, and then the Hideout Footscape, with the final drop designed by French DJ Busy P.

Art Direction/InstallationCollateral Layout/Logistics

experiential spaces nike dunk live window los angeles

This marketing effort took place during the 2008 NCAA basketball tournament. Located

inside the front window of an antique shop in the heart of Hollywood, this 4-day event

engaged thousands of people walking down the sidewalk. It looked like an out of place

frat house, which drew attention to the space and to our clients’ product.


experiential spaces nike id pop-up events los angeles/long beach/san diego

In 2006, we teamed up with Nike for a series of private Nike iD events with stops in LA, Long Beach and San Diego. At the time, these private events were a one-of-a-kind production on the West Coast. Coupler Creative Nike iD themed each retail space to make it a special night for those in attendance.

Art Direction/Installation/Event Management

retail installations nike 6.0 los angeles/san francisco/san diego

retail environments nike 6.0 los angeles/westwood/san diego

Collaborating with Nemo Design on this nationwide installation, we produced and

managed installs across the country with two custom 3D installations in the Los Angeles

area.


retail Environments nike 6.0 valencia/mission viejo/riverside/orange/costa mesa

art direction junkyard wars tlc/the discovery channel

art direction operation junkyard tlc/discovery kids

retail environments

photography

art installations converse 1hund(red) los angeles

Collaborating with worldwide renown artists, Dr. Romanelli and Megan Whitmarsh,

we designed and built the event space for the Converse 1HUND(RED) event in Los Angeles.

Each artist was given a space and a budget to work with. The event also showcased the entire

Converse 1HUND(RED) sneaker line highlighting each artist’s design.


art installations converse 1hund(red) los angeles

retail environments liberty dunk los angeles

The Nike Liberty Dunk was a special limited edition sneaker in need of a truly unique

installation. When Nike wanted an old country floral shop inside the Opening Ceremony in

Los Angeles, they came to Coupler Creative. Much research and time was needed to locate specific flowers relevant to the installation.

During the length of the exhibit a colorful bouquet was given away to each customer.


retail environments liberty dunk los angeles

experiential spacesart installations

retail environmentsevent management

photographygraphic design

coupler pdf 8.10.09

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