When Victoria's Secret decided to promote its new spring Pink collection—the sporty line aimed at the younger set that debuted in 2004—the retailer quickly settled on, naturally, a spring break theme. Held at South Beach's Raleigh Hotel on the afternoon of March 7, Rally at the Raleigh was a high-energy yet casual pool bash saturated in Pink merchandise and branding galore. Tony Berger of New York-based Relevent Group LLC transformed the Raleigh's pool area into a spring break haven that featured a dunking booth, photo booth, and smoothie bar. The smoothie bar was unique in that the fruit-filled flavors were inspired by Pink's new fragrance, Pink Beach, which hit stores on March 27. A pop-up merchandise shop that resembled a beach hut was set up and allowed guests to shop for the never-before-seen spring collection of loungewear, sleepwear, lingerie, and accessories.Musical entertainment by DJ Irie, DJ Berrie, and Nick Cannon kept partygoers dancing throughout the afternoon. Decor was reminiscent of a college sorority beach house, with signature pink accents found throughout. The pool area was adorned with pink inner tubes, branded umbrellas, oversize pink couches with the Pink logo on the matching oversize pillows, and, of course, the larger-than-life trademark Pink's Mini Dog, covered head to toe in polka dots. Guest attendance was based on a first-come, first-served basis; passes were distributed online and at local participating Victoria's Secret stores. Celebrities including Ciara, Kristin Cavallari, Haylie Duff, JoJo, and Cannon were named team captains and hosted activities such as tug-of-war, pool relay races, and a sundae-eating contest. The Raleigh's catering department provided simple bites, such as mini sirloin burgers, margherita pizzas, and turkey clubs.
—Brittany Peitsmeyer