BERSHKA VIENNA — STORE OPENING GOES GUERRILLA
BERSHKA
/ OVERVIEW
Fashion invasion with guerilla tactics and real-life marketing that obliterated the sales record.
SOOH WHAT
2014: When Bershka opened a flagship store in Vienna, they could’ve just unlocked the doors and let the cash register sing. But hey – where’s the fun in that? We were supposed to pull off something “impossible” that wouldn’t just attract the urban, progressive, fashion-addicted target audience, but make them part of the story.
The challenge:
As a Spanish fashion brand, Bershka first had to make a name for itself in Vienna’s fashion scene and write itself into the local culture. Not with some boring red ribbon and prosecco reception, but with a bang that would echo through all districts.
SOOH SPECIAL
/ STRATEGY
SOOH WHY?
What sucks about typical store openings? Exactly – they’re all so predictably standard you could fall asleep. So we needed a strategy that didn’t just invite watching, but animated participation.
Our creative rationale: Connecting guerilla tactics with digital interaction and real physical experiences. We call it “In-Real-Life Marketing”. The domain “iwashere.at” became the central statement – perfect for a generation that permanently documents where they are.
A treasure hunt with hidden golden tickets turned passive spectators into active participants. The search didn’t just activate social media but literally brought people to the streets. Vienna’s 100 most relevant fashion bloggers and influencers got their golden tickets for an exclusive preview two hours before the official opening.
SOOH SPECIAL
/ IMPLEMENTATIONS
We surprised Vienna with a multi-stage guerilla campaign:
Phase 1:
Mystery Building
Removable stickers on cars and public surfaces pointed to the mysterious domain “iwashere.at”. Golden tickets were hidden at strategic fashion hotspots around Vienna and staged as a scavenger hunt through Bershka’s social media channels.
Phase 2:
The Big Bang
For the actual opening, we conceived a dramatic “explosion” of the entrance that would literally open the store with a bang. Sounds bombastic? It was – or should have been. On the big day, the mechanism didn’t work as planned. SOOH CRAZY! Our team had to improvise in seconds and manually open the wall – a feat of strength behind the scenes while nearly 500 waiting fashion enthusiasts noticed nothing. Crisis management at its finest!
Phase 3:
Community Creation
Inside the store, we created various creative stations with local artists: A spectacular photo op with an urban skyline setting, stamping corners, sewing patch stations, and screen-printing opportunities. The local artists developed the motifs themselves – real community involvement at its best. Everyone could get creative and craft a personal souvenir – content that went viral all by itself.
SOOH SPECIAL
/ RESULTS
SOOH WOW!
The numbers? Absolutely impressive for 2014:
- More than 800 positive reactions on Facebook (back then, that was serious organic reach!)
- Nearly 500 people waiting at the opening
- Vienna’s fashion blogger elite had already produced content two hours earlier
But the real kicker: The store smashed the sales record for an opening day. In just four hours, they generated more revenue than any other Bershka opening before.