If MTV's demographic can be loosely defined as young and slightly irreverent, so can those words describe the demographic for consumers of the Converse One Star collection recently launched at Target stores. So for Target to host an unofficial MTV Movie Awards after-party last night in honor of the new collection seemed, ahem, right on target.
Target's events and marketing team tapped Cara Kleinhaut of Caravents to produce the party, which featured a fully customized, built-out setup on the Lot's plain Stage 7, meant to create an experience and a look that represented the indie-slash-youth demo that Converse courts. To that end, DJ Steve Aoki spun records for the hipster-heavy crowd of about 500, and M.I.A. performed a high-energy set in her signature genre-busting style and neon costumes. But the big story of the night wasn't just the colorful, crowd-pleasing performance; it was the venue's look, which was a highly visual, multimedia spectacle.A 60-foot-wide, 16-foot-high photo wall showed a collage of manipulated images created from guests' snaps at six photo booths from Capital Photo Booth. Guests kept their photo strips, while the digital versions went to on-site graphic artists to add to the wall. As the night progressed, the wall evolved to include more photos and content. (Bonus: Six photo booths meant no waiting in lines, and endless opportunities for guests to try their hands at funny faces.)
An hourlong customized film reel showed footage shot locally in hot hoods like Silver Lake, Venice beach, and Echo Park, meant to highlight scenes evocative of the Converse lifestyle. "The reel takes event branding to a different level and assumes the guests are more sophisticated and don’t want to be hit on the head with logos," Kleinhaut said. "They get it. Instead of just putting up logos and being very literal with the branding, we're suggesting the lifestyle."
For an interactive media wall, Caravents worked with Lone Outpost to put together some more lifestyle-suggestive images, and Monster Media (which created the Converse/Target ad campaigns) layered them with infrared technology that allowed guests to interact with the images using the heat and movement of their bodies.
A 15-foot-diameter central chandelier made from red translucent material, hand-welded and sewn by a local sculptor for the event, used grommets to evoke Converse shoes without being too literal. "We have all seen shoe walls at competing shoe brands’ parties," Kleinhaut said. "It was about taking apart the ideas and being way more abstract."
For the stage backdrop behind M.I.A.'s 40-minute-or-so performance (which began around 11:30 p.m.), customized rock-style posters pasted onto giant scenic flats hung from the 26-foot-high ceilings. "We had a massive amount of wall space to fill, so what went on those walls had to be really compelling," Kleinhaut said.
Although organizers wouldn't speak on budget details for the production-heavy party, the outspoken artist M.I.A. would. "Converse paid me 100 grand to be here tonight, so I took it. I was supposed to be in Canada," she said during her set, adding that she planned to use a chunk of the money to build a school in Liberia.
Target's events and marketing team tapped Cara Kleinhaut of Caravents to produce the party, which featured a fully customized, built-out setup on the Lot's plain Stage 7, meant to create an experience and a look that represented the indie-slash-youth demo that Converse courts. To that end, DJ Steve Aoki spun records for the hipster-heavy crowd of about 500, and M.I.A. performed a high-energy set in her signature genre-busting style and neon costumes. But the big story of the night wasn't just the colorful, crowd-pleasing performance; it was the venue's look, which was a highly visual, multimedia spectacle.A 60-foot-wide, 16-foot-high photo wall showed a collage of manipulated images created from guests' snaps at six photo booths from Capital Photo Booth. Guests kept their photo strips, while the digital versions went to on-site graphic artists to add to the wall. As the night progressed, the wall evolved to include more photos and content. (Bonus: Six photo booths meant no waiting in lines, and endless opportunities for guests to try their hands at funny faces.)
An hourlong customized film reel showed footage shot locally in hot hoods like Silver Lake, Venice beach, and Echo Park, meant to highlight scenes evocative of the Converse lifestyle. "The reel takes event branding to a different level and assumes the guests are more sophisticated and don’t want to be hit on the head with logos," Kleinhaut said. "They get it. Instead of just putting up logos and being very literal with the branding, we're suggesting the lifestyle."
For an interactive media wall, Caravents worked with Lone Outpost to put together some more lifestyle-suggestive images, and Monster Media (which created the Converse/Target ad campaigns) layered them with infrared technology that allowed guests to interact with the images using the heat and movement of their bodies.
A 15-foot-diameter central chandelier made from red translucent material, hand-welded and sewn by a local sculptor for the event, used grommets to evoke Converse shoes without being too literal. "We have all seen shoe walls at competing shoe brands’ parties," Kleinhaut said. "It was about taking apart the ideas and being way more abstract."
For the stage backdrop behind M.I.A.'s 40-minute-or-so performance (which began around 11:30 p.m.), customized rock-style posters pasted onto giant scenic flats hung from the 26-foot-high ceilings. "We had a massive amount of wall space to fill, so what went on those walls had to be really compelling," Kleinhaut said.
Although organizers wouldn't speak on budget details for the production-heavy party, the outspoken artist M.I.A. would. "Converse paid me 100 grand to be here tonight, so I took it. I was supposed to be in Canada," she said during her set, adding that she planned to use a chunk of the money to build a school in Liberia.
Subtle but bold logos decked the corners of custom bars, and Target's signature color accented modern lounge furniture.
Photo: Line 8 Photography
A hodgepodge of black-painted photo frames covered the press wall for a nontraditional look.
Photo: Line 8 Photography
Through infrared technology, guests could interact with a wall covered in L.A. imagery as they passed.
Photo: Line 8 Photography
A giant red chandelier was meant to evoke the look of Converse shoes without being too literal, and laces wrapped black flower vases on the bars.
Photo: Line 8 Photography
M.I.A. performed a loud, high-energy set, which ended with dozens of women from the crowd dancing on stage with the musicians.
Photo: Line 8 Photography
