Putting up All-Star Numbers

Our Rakuten NBA All-Star Weekend pop-up drew crowds in Chicago and on social.

Experience Design
Sensorial Technology
Connected Activations
Behavioral Intelligence
Purposeful Partnerships

The shopping portal elevated its game.

NBA fans recognized the Rakuten name… but they didn’t understand what Rakuten does.

Only six weeks from NBA All-Star Weekend, Rakuten brought in GMR to help change that. We transformed a building in Chicago’s West Loop neighborhood, aligned the brand with the vibrant culture of the NBA—and connected with millions of shoppers on social.

the story we made

“It’s money in here”

At every touch point, the house drove home exactly what Rakuten delivers: cash back. Guests registered for Rakuten’s award system upon arrival. At stations throughout the house, guests could earn cash instantly.

Built to be shared

The goal of Rakuten House wasn’t just to make a splash in Chicago. It was filled with playful, discoverable, Instagrammable spaces that were just begging to be shot and shared.

The fans go wild

We attracted crowds with a Zach LaVine meet-and-greet, watch party, Rakuten employee party, and live “master classes” hosted by influencers twice a day.

How We Built It

An incredible architectural comeback

The space began as a completely barren former restaurant with exposed studs. We relocated the front door, changed the façade, erected walls, built all the installations and created all of the graphics.

Former restaurant with exposed pillars and a glass window garage door

The right game plan for social

GMR enlisted influencers at the crossroads of hoops, creativity and culture, and got over 2.5 times more content than we’d even asked for. All weekend long, legit all-stars drew attention to the House.