LACE ME UP!
The Afterpay x Foot Locker Lace Me Up activation delivered a playful, hands on retail experience that invited customers to personalise their sneakers. The activation transformed a standard purchase into a creative moment, encouraging self expression and individuality.
By offering custom laces and charms in store, the experience added value beyond the product itself. Lace Me Up created energy on the shop floor, sparked curiosity among passing shoppers, and reinforced Foot Locker as a destination for both style and experience. At the same time, it highlighted Afterpay as the payment partner that enables rewarding, memorable shopping moments for customers.
What the client needed
Afterpay and Foot Locker required an in store activation that would drive engagement, encourage higher spend, and increase use of Afterpay at point of purchase. The experience needed to be easy to understand, quick to execute, and appealing to Foot Locker’s core audience.
It also needed to add real value to the customer journey rather than feeling promotional. Visually, the activation had to stand out within an existing store footprint while remaining compact and operationally efficient. Most importantly, it needed to connect both brands through a shared experience that felt fun, rewarding, and aligned with customer lifestyle and self expression.
Own Your Kicks
We saw Lace Me Up as an opportunity to turn personalisation into the hero of the experience. Our thinking focused on giving customers a sense of ownership and creative control over their new footwear. By tying access to a spend threshold paid with Afterpay, the activation felt exclusive and rewarding rather than transactional.
We wanted the experience to feel intuitive and welcoming, with staff guidance enhancing the interaction rather than slowing it down. From a design perspective, the activation needed to integrate seamlessly into the store while still catching attention from a distance. We prioritised a clean, branded aesthetic that complemented the Foot Locker environment and clearly communicated the offer. Above all, we aimed to create a moment that went beyond a simple retail add on and instead delivered a memorable touchpoint that customers would associate with both brands long after leaving the store.
How we activated
Customers who spent a set amount on footwear and paid with Afterpay unlocked access to the Lace Me Up experience. Once qualified, they were invited to the customisation station, where staff assisted them in selecting alternate laces and charms. A custom lace fixture allowed accessories to be displayed clearly and applied efficiently.
The activation was housed within a benchtop customisation hub, brought to life with decals and event branding to ensure high visibility. Positioned as a focal point in store, it attracted attention and sparked curiosity from other shoppers. The experience added tangible value to the purchase while driving excitement and engagement on the shop floor. Lace Me Up successfully blended product, personalisation, and payment into a single interactive moment that reinforced Foot Locker as an experiential retailer and Afterpay as an enabler of personalised shopping experiences.
