SHOWROOM ON ICE
Brand
LOODS 5
Entrant Agency
OGILVY
Category
Outdoor
Award
Silver
Festival & Year
Cannes Lions (2026)
Case Study Details
Loods 5 - Showroom on Ice (Case Study) | Campaign
1. Background & Challenge
Prominent Dutch home furnishings retailer Loods 5 needed to transcend conventional static showroom layouts to forge a deeper emotional connection with modern consumers. The B2C marketing challenge was to boost product sales by transforming a traditionally passive retail category into an active, memorable lifestyle event. Recognizing that contemporary buyers prioritize unique engagement over purely transactional shopping, the brand sought to leverage the deeply cherished Dutch winter tradition of children learning to ice skate by pushing chairs across the ice, translating this national cultural heritage into a direct commercial opportunity.
2. Creative Idea & Strategy
The underlying strategy merged cultural resonance with contextual product utility, proving furniture quality by testing its structural robustness in a highly unexpected, active environment. Driven by the concept "Showroom on Ice," Loods 5 transformed Amsterdam’s iconic Museumplein ice rink into the world’s first interactive, live-action furniture showroom. A chic collection of proprietary and designer chairs—including premium pieces from Vitra—were placed directly onto the ice, dual-functioning as functional skating supports and interactive touchpoints to turn a familiar winter pastime into an experiential brand asset.
3. Execution
The experiential activation ran for a week, converting the entire skating rink into a sprawling, functional retail display. Visitors were encouraged to physically push and sit on the chairs, testing their stability and comfort while gliding. To streamline consumer acquisition, each chair was equipped with a discreet QR code, establishing a frictionless digital path to purchase directly from the physical ice rink. The campaign launched with an exclusive media skating clinic led by prominent skater Pien Hersman, supported by targeted digital out-of-home (DOOH) assets to channel foot traffic to the installation.
4. Results & Impact
The localized campaign achieved remarkable retail efficiency, driving a 30% year-over-year increase in chair sales during the activation week and proving the commercial power of contextual experiential marketing. The project generated substantial media momentum, capturing 2.8 million press impressions, over 1 million in influencer reach, and 149,000 localized DOOH impressions. By successfully blending high-touch physical interaction with instant e-commerce pathways, Loods 5 elevated its design-forward brand perception and permanently optimized its long-term consumer equity.
Credits:
- Client: Loods 5
- Agency: Ogilvy / Amsterdam
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Presentation Board
CULTURAL CONTEXT
Ice skating is a national sport and passion
inthe Netherlands. For over a century,
the Dutch have learned their frst glides
using old chairs for balance. A tradition
everyone in the country knows.
Loods §, a Dutch home and design retailer
known for its curated furniture, was launching
‘a brand new chair collection, But not everyone
knew that.
‘So we brought it to the country's most iconic
ice rink and swapped the old chairs with our
newest designs, introducing the first ever
‘Showroom on ice.
For 10 days straight, beginners learned to glide
using our collection, Each chair featured
‘a QR code to shop instantly, with an exclusive
15% gliding discount, and the option to buy
directly on-site for immediate pickup’
chadlethbridge 6w
Absolutely brilliant! Such a great
idea and so joyfully executed. ©
lamsterdam
Dagjeweg
a
taartjealamaartie
Applause to whoever came up
with this, Ithink it’s fantastic ©
Talkies
BARTS/
BOEKJE
oO
poupidu
Love this modern take on the tradition. fh A.
TO NEW CHAIRS ATTRACTING CUSTOMERS
silviaknoppien
That's how my dad taught me to skate too
30%
SALES UPLIFT
(WS. THE SAME WEEK IN 2025)
+92.4%
WEBSITE VISITORS
(COMPARED TO AVERAGE TRAFFIC)
