Most white-collar workers have been working from home since the pandemic shut down workspaces in March of last year. And since then, flexible working arrangements have become the norm, with some companies debating whether to bring employees back to the office at all.
For example, accounting and consulting firm PwC just announced that it will allow all of its 40,000 U.S. client services employees to work virtually and live anywhere they want in perpetuity. So it makes sense that brands like American Express and Busch Light are tapping into this trend and designing activations inspired by the idea of remote work.
See how these brands (and one Finnish city) embraced the WFH mindset.
American Express’ “Built for Business” Installations
As part of its “Built for Business” campaign, American Express unveiled experiential installations across New York City, Chicago and Austin featuring billboards that turned into desks, park benches with charging stations and phone booths where folks could take work calls in private.
Photo: Courtesy of American Express
Developed in partnership with dentsuMB, the out-of-home activation is part of a marketing campaign geared toward small- and mid-size business owners.
Photo: Courtesy of American Express
“Business owners on the move will see a physical representation of how American Express Business Cards are built to meet the B-to-B spending and payment needs of small- and mid-size businesses,” said Jessica Ling, senior vice president of global B2B marketing for American Express.
Photo: Courtesy of American Express
Busch Light’s TreeWork
Last month, the Anheuser-Busch beer brand debuted TreeWork, an outdoor co-working space nestled in the Colorado woodlands. Amenities included a naturally well-ventilated office space, Wi-Fi, happy hours, on-site grilling and campfires, as well as the opportunity to spend the night outdoors.
Photo: Courtesy of Anheuser-Busch
Up until Sept. 27, guests were able to reserve a spot through busch.com/treework on a first-come, first-serve basis.
Photo: Courtesy of Anheuser-Busch
Finland’s Viita Workstations
The Finnish city of Lahti wanted to encourage its residents to enjoy the calming effect of nature, so it set up remote workstations in the city's wooded areas, which are free for anyone to use.
Photo: Courtesy of TBWA\Helsinki
The Viita workstations were made in collaboration with creative agency TBWA\Helsinki and Finnish design company Upwood. They include a telephone and cup holder, a laptop area, a place for pens and a spot to hang a bag or purse. The workstations are attached to trees in such a way as to not harm them during installation and removal.
Photo: Courtesy of TBWA\Helsinki
