This Pop-Up Had 14,000 Shoelaces Hanging From the Ceiling

Working with Gladiator Productions, footwear brand Dr. Martens celebrated its new campaign with a vibrant, photo op-filled activation in Los Angeles.

Claire Hoffman

November 17, 2023

A highlight of the activation was a photo-worthy ceiling installation, which used 7,000 shoelaces—or 14,000 total when cut into individual strands. "The Dr. Marten shoelace is an iconic part of the brand's history," said Pavlik. "We wanted to develop a unique way to display them and lean into the heritage of the brand—and what better blank canvas than the ceiling!"Photo: Courtesy of Gladiator Productions
LOS ANGELES—The Grove in Los Angeles boasts some of the city's highest foot traffic numbers—and its dedicated "Glass Box" pop-up space has long been a popular spot for brands to create eye-catching activations. The latest comes from British shoe brand Dr. Martens, which celebrated its new "Made Strong" campaign with a hard-to-miss pop-up that ran from Oct. 4-29.

The vibrant space displayed an exclusive collection found only at Nordstrom, allowing passersby to interact with the product and take selfies at oversize mirrors and below a unique art installation of 14,000 shoelaces hanging from the ceiling. LED tiles showcased the brand's newest campaign assets, and a buzzy, 150-guest kickoff party on Oct. 3 featured celebrity performers Tinashe and DJ Andre Powers.

Partnering with the Dr. Martens marketing team, Los Angeles-based company Gladiator Productions handled design, fabrication, and operations, while also designing and producing the premiere launch party.

"Dr. Martens is such an iconic brand, and being challenged to create something fresh that still invites in fans and newcomers alike is always tricky when working with an icon," explained Charlotte Pavlik, vice president of sales and marketing at Gladiator Productions. "They could not have been a better partner as we worked together to push the design and experience envelope while maintaining their legacy."

For brands looking to draw attention from passersby—particularly in a mall or another high-foot-traffic area—Pavlik suggests leaning into color. "You want to create disruption in a space where neutral tones are most predominant," she said. "We always approach with an intent of transformation as we are frequently limited by space and shape—so pushing the envelope in our design is always a priority."

Ultimately, the Dr. Martens activation drew 3,200 visitors during its 25-day residency. Scroll down to see inside the pop-up, and hear more from our interview with Pavlik...

Dr. Martens celebrated its new Made Strong campaign by taking over the Glass Box at The Grove in Los Angeles from Oct. 4-29. The vibrant space was designed and produced by Gladiator Productions.

Photo: Courtesy of Gladiator Productions

Pavlik describes the ceiling as one of her favorite aspects of the project. "The ‘wow factor’ of the installation created a lot of engagement within the box with people taking pictures of it, running their fingers through it, using it as the backdrop in their mirror selfies—but also had a uniqueness that drew people in!"

The team also showcased the shoes in a variety of ways, aiming to tell the story of how custom lacing and styling are part of one’s individual Docs style. "That was fun to see people explore and purchase," she said.

Photo: Courtesy of Gladiator Productions

"Engagement and education took equal priority to the sales aspect," noted Pavlik. "That being said, we worked to incorporate self-led photo moments for consumers engaging with the pop-up, as well as passersby whose curiosity may have been piqued by the predominantly yellow glowing structure."

Photo: Courtesy of Gladiator Productions

Infinity mirrors outside created additional selfie moments.

Photo: Courtesy of Gladiator Productions

Throughout the space, LED tiles and graphically incorporated brand messaging helped tell the story and paint a picture of the brand's fresh new look. "In partnering with the Dr. Martens team, we wanted to infuse color into the experience leveraging their historical brand color of yellow," said Pavlik. "Black is the color most often associated with the brand, so we looked for multisensory ways to bring the color and vibrancy to life in the design."

Photo: Courtesy of Gladiator Productions

Each week, the pop-up was revamped with local Los Angeles artists and brands, with highlights including shoe charm releases by Chloe Whitman, custom monogramming from With Vivid Color, and tarot card readings by Small Smells (the latter of which took place, appropriately, on Friday, Oct. 13).

Photo: Courtesy of Gladiator Productions

On Oct. 3, the pop-up kicked off with a premiere launch party. "Dr. Martens is known for their involvement on the arts scene—particularly when it comes to partnerships with musicians," explained Pavlik. "We wanted to create something complementary to both the fresh concept design of the pop-up, and nodding to their long history with the music scene."

Photo: Courtesy of Gladiator Productions

For the launch party, Gladiator Productions created custom food stands to host local food vendors. "Approaching the concept like a mini music festival, it seemed only right to bring in local food vendors to join in on the fun, putting a twist on your traditional VIP party catering," noted Pavlik.

Photo: Courtesy of Gladiator Productions

An oversize bar manned by six bartenders served themed drinks.

Photo: Courtesy of Gladiator Productions

An elevated stage and lighting theatrics set the scene for performances from R&B singer Tinashe and DJ Andre Powers. "The yellow stage created an anchor to the party and hosted the two acts throughout the night—a real beacon of light in the setting of The Grove!" said Pavlik. "Design-wise, we again infused that Doc’s yellow in various ways, and expanded with multimedia imagery on a giant LED."

Photo: Courtesy of Gladiator Productions