3. 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 introduction
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.
4. 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
phase 1 phase 2
experiential spaces football club los angeles
5. 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
phase 3
experiential spaces football club los angeles
6. 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 Painting
Print/Installation
experiential spaces 144lab/be true los angeles
8. 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/being true los angeles
9. 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/Installation
Photography
city dunk boneyards
experiential spaces 144lab/city dunk/boneyards los angeles
10. 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/ginga venice beach
11. 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
event photos by angela daves-haley
experiential spaces blu house/stussy world tour venice beach
12. 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/wk interact venice beach
13. 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/Construction
Mural Painting/Logistics
experiential spaces blu house/the rec venice beach
14. 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/Construction
Fixture Design/Retail Installation
experiential spaces the montalban hollywood
16. 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/Construction
Art Installation/Fixture Design/Logistics
experiential spaces the point hollywood
18. 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 installiations hollywood
19. 1Love Art Installation Air Force 1 Barkley Launch
experiential spaces the point/art installations hollywood
20. 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 los angeles/portland/miami
21. 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 re-run/retail support los angeles/san francisco/portland
22. 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 Direction/Installation/Logistics
art installations being true los angeles/san francisco/portland/miami
23. art installations being true los angeles/san francisco/portland/miami
24. 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 Direction/Installation/Logistics
art installations white dunk los angeles
26. 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.
Art Direction/Installation/Logistics
retail environments undftd air force 1 los angeles/santa monica
27. 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 opening ceremony kiosk los angeles/nyc
28. 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.
Art Direction/Installation/Logistics
retail environments one time only los angeles/san francisco/san diego
29. 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.
Art Direction/Installation
retail environments brasil soccer collection los angeles/san francisco
30. 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 environments 21 mercer/nsw collection nyc
31. 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.
Art Direction/Installation
retail installations 21 mercer/nsw black collection nyc
32. 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.
Art Direction/Installation
retail environments 21 mercer/nsw collection nyc
33. 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 Direction/Installation
retail environments 21 mercer/firefly gradient nyc
34. 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 Direction/Installation
art installations room72/nike dunk los angeles
35. dunk nike+
kobe tech pack
grammy dunk
art installations room72 los angeles
36. 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.
Art Direction/Installation/Logistics
retail environments ctrs los angeles/nyc
37. 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/Installation
Collateral Layout/Logistics
Retail Environments livestrong x nsw greatest hits los angeles
38. 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.
Art Direction/Installation
experiential spaces nike dunk live window los angeles
39. 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
experiential spaces nike id pop-up events los angeles/long beach/san diego
40. retail installations nike 6.0 los angeles/san francisco/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.
Art Direction/Installation/Logistics
retail environments nike 6.0 los angeles/westwood/san diego
48. 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 Direction/Installation/Logistics
art installations converse 1hund(red) los angeles
50. 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.
Art Direction/Installation/Logistics
retail environments liberty dunk los angeles