3X BRANDS WINNING OUTSIDE THE MAIN STAGE
The headline slot isn’t the only place to win. The edge of culture, physically or narratively, often delivers the most impact. Off site activations come with fewer rules, lower costs, and total creative control.
The trade-off is you have to engineer your own gravity. Get it right and the audience comes to you before they even realise it.
818 TEQUILA’S OUTPOST, INDIO
While Coachella raged inside the gates, 818 built its own desert world. Terracotta billboards and wild postings along the LA to Indio highway primed the audience mid journey – making plays before anyone had even arrived.
Image: 818 Tequila
Vintage Land Cruisers lined the entrance, DJs orchestrated the energy and every touchpoint was an immersive dive into the brand. 818 didn’t follow the festival, it intercepted it and became the destination.
RALPH LAUREN’S WIMBLEDON FLAGSHIP
Ralph Lauren has long been stitched into Wimbledon’s courtside identity, but in 2025 they pushed beyond the gates. The New Bond Street flagship became a Wimbledon inspired café and screening space, complete with court-green interiors, Wimbledon inspired café serves, and limited-edition merch.
Image: Ralph Lauren
It brought the magic of the Championships into the city, capturing those who weren’t ticket-holders but still part of the cultural moment. By extending the tournament’s atmosphere into a new, high footfall space, Ralph Lauren proved that the prestige of the main event can live far beyond its physical boundaries.
GAP’S HOODIE HOUSE AT OUTSIDE LANDS
Gap used its Outside Lands partnership to act like an outsider. The Hoodie House replaced standard merch tents with a custom design studio, where guests created one-off hoodies as stylists and artisans worked around them. It felt more like a design cutting floor than a sponsor booth, turning festival merch into a tactile, personal, and feed-ready cultural moment.
Image: Gap
From desert highways to city flagships to festival fields, these brands show that the cultural edge is often more powerful than the main stage. The fringe is where you can rewrite the rules, control the experience, and turn passing attention into lasting brand equity.
Words by Kat Towers, Culture.
SEEN is our monthly-ish newsletter about brands, trends and creativity. Subscribe by getting in touch here: hello@lovecreative.com.