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DTC darling Parade to hold first IRL retail event

The underwear company will transform NYC’s Dimes Square into a meadow of flowers from August 27 to 29.
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Parade

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Underwear brand Parade is moving from DTC to IRL this weekend. The brand’s first-ever physical retail activation since its 2019 debut is taking place in “Dimes Square,” a triangle near a park in Lower Manhattan.

  • The event will sell Parade’s “Summer Daisy” collection, so the company is transforming Dimes Square into a meadow of “fresh” wildflowers from August 27 to 29 (with libations, of course).
  • Parade is also putting up some ✨fresh✨ wheat paste ads across the city for promo + tapping its influencer network and community to help spread the word 🗣️.
  • That “community” includes Claire Banse, cofounder of the publication that recently put Dimes Square on the map: The Drunken Canal.

Why it matters: Parade isn’t the only DTC brand getting NYC event marketing-happy recently. Recess recently debuted its first IRL pop-up store since the pandemic in downtown Manhattan, and liqueur brand St-Germain hosted a “flower shop” pop-up this month.

The trend, explained

“Diversifying marketing budgets and investing in OOH or physical retail can ease reliance on digital ads (which are getting more expensive and less effective following iOS updates),” Alma marketing manager and DTC newsletter writer Emily Singer told Marketing Brew.

“The thing that's really interesting to me is that both Recess and Parade chose locations that are popular among people who live there—they're opening where locals are already hanging out and spending time, rather than choosing a high-visibility, touristy spot,” Singer continued.

Aja Singer (unrelated to Emily), a brand and creative strategy consultant for DTC brands, told us “a pop-up is a great way to differentiate your brand right now—there are not many competing in-person experiences, especially among larger, more established brands.” She added that Dimes Square works for the activation because its high foot traffic includes Parade’s core demo.

“Since launch, Parade has leaned heavily into gifting product, particularly to micro-influencers and *very* online Gen Zers, exactly the demographic that populates Dimes Square,” Singer said.

DTC investor Nik Sharma told us he sees DTC IRL activations as brand loyalty engines. “If you’re a fan and you get to come meet the people behind it, take another piece of the brand home…or get to learn more about it that makes you even more attached, you just become more attached and loyal,” he said.

Get marketing news you'll actually want to read

Marketing Brew informs marketing pros of the latest on brand strategy, social media, and ad tech via our weekday newsletter, virtual events, marketing conferences, and digital guides.

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