In Brand Stand, David Ogiste, founder of experiential and brand experience agency, Nobody’s Cafe, picks one format brands keep coming back to – from ski-slope takeovers to street-corner newsstands – and explains why it’s working right now, what it says about how audiences want to experience brands, and what event planners can take from it for their own activations.
I am sad to announce that winter is coming, and that means brands will soon pack up their summer resort activations and head straight for the slopes. Recently, major fashion houses like Dior, Hublot, Jacquemus, Loro Piana, Lacoste, and Burberry have all shown up on the slopes to leverage this crisp winter aesthetic.
But why are so many luxury brands trading the traditional retail high street for a snowy mountainside?
For event planners and brand marketers, it’s crucial to understand that heading to the mountains offers distinct experiential advantages that simply cannot be replicated in a standard city setting.
First, it comes down to location and proximity. Brands want to engage their audience effortlessly, exactly where they love to be.
On a typical high street, pop-up spaces are constantly fighting for attention against commuting crowds and busy daily routines. Up in the mountains, the environment is entirely different. The audience is captive, relaxed, and fully in a leisure mindset. Crucially, this audience has the disposable income and willingness to spend on luxury items. However, modern luxury consumers want to feel that these items actually belong in their lifestyle. They want to buy into brands that fit seamlessly into their year-round calendar, proving they belong in the same exclusive cultural spaces.
While this seasonal strategy shares DNA with summer beach takeovers, the winter execution is noticeably different.
In summer, brands generally lean into straightforward partnerships, placing their logos on beach club sun loungers or parasols. Winter activations, by contrast, demand far more bespoke creativity. The physical builds are bolder and rely heavily on the unexpected. We are seeing brands go far beyond simple pop-up shops, creating things like Hublot designing a giant clock carved entirely from ice, or Lacoste building a full tennis and padel court right in the middle of a snowy ski resort. These moments are entirely unexpected, forcing people to stop and take notice.
This element of surprise is exactly why these activations are so valuable. Yes, the captive audience acts as a built-in engine for organic social sharing, as holidaymakers naturally want to document their stunning surroundings. But beyond standard Instagram posts, these unexpected mountain builds generate massive global PR traction. A striking, highly creative visual set against the dramatic backdrop of the Alps creates a media moment that a standard retail store launch could never achieve. The sheer scale and creativity of a bespoke alpine chalet or a snow-covered sports court provide endless angles for lifestyle and design publications to cover.
Alongside the PR value, we must also consider how consumer behaviour shifts on holiday. People tend to take more risks and try completely new styles when they are away from their everyday lives. This carefree attitude provides the perfect backdrop for brands to showcase bold, eye-catching products. A bright, oversized puffer jacket or statement ski goggles might feel completely out of place during a city commute, but they look entirely at home on a snowy peak.
Ultimately, taking a brand activation to a seasonal destination is about creating genuine, long-lasting emotional connections.
Following your audience to their seasonal escapes is the ultimate way to build lifestyle loyalty. When a luxury brand proves it understands its consumers’ cultural calendar, it leaves an impression that traditional advertising simply cannot achieve. It is not about forcing a marketing message onto a crowd. It is about integrating your brand seamlessly into the very moments your audience enjoys most.