Aperol Spritz - Join the Joy

Hippocampus approached Thingking with a set of concepts for Aperol’s Join the Joy in-store activation. The designs were already in place. Thingking’s role was to work out how the pieces would actually be made: materials, structure, lighting, finishes, stability and packing for transport around South Africa.

The pieces had been designed for a national retail rollout, so each one needed to work beyond the render. They had to be fabricated within budget, stand safely in public spaces and pack down well enough to travel by courier. Installation also needed to be straightforward once the pieces reached their destination.

The project involved a group of branded retail pieces built around Aperol orange, curved forms, greenery and illuminated graphics. Much of Thingking’s work happened in the details that were unresolved in the original drawings. The moss wall needed a structure that could stand without being fixed into the floor. Lighting was broken into practical components. The illuminated glass above the cheers point had to be manufactured in separate sections. Materials were changed where the specified option would not handle repeated use or transport. These decisions allowed the original designs to be fabricated without changing their character.