MEC: The Ultimate Outdoor Challenge
Experiential Brand Activation / OOH Gamification
MY ROLE
Creative Director & Experience Designer (Conceptual)
Core Competencies: Speculative Design, Brand Activation Strategy, Spatial Concepting
To drive brand affinity and capture the next generation of outdoor enthusiasts, this experiential campaign targets the high-density post-secondary demographic at the University of British Columbia. Combining elements of competitive survival gamification with outdoor safety education, the activation transforms a traditional campus green space into a multi-stage physical obstacle course. By seamlessly linking a frictionless mobile registration pipeline to real-world, tactile survival challenges such as tactical knot-tying, shelter construction, and emergency field-craft, the experience drives top-of-funnel student acquisition while firmly anchoring the brand as an essential authority on wilderness safety and backcountry preparedness.
PROJECTED CAMPAIGN IMPACT + KPI’S
- Targeted Reach: Estimated 5,000+ direct student engagements over a 3-day campus deployment window.
- Lead Generation: Projected capture of 800+ verified email sign-ups through the mobile onboarding portal.
- Social Amplification: Targeted generation of 1,200+ unique user-generated social media impressions via on-site interactive photo moments.
- Educational Efficacy: Goal of 100% completion rate on survival modules, ensuring all participants walk away with baseline backcountry safety certifications.
Phase 01: Digital Acquisition
To optimize student recruitment and maximize data collection on the UBC campus, the activation utilizes a mobile-first digital onboarding pipeline. The responsive UI framework was designed to eliminate barrier-to-entry friction, allowing students to instantly form regional teams, select their competitive skill tiers, and clear liability waivers in seconds. By capturing high-intent student profiles before they arrive on-site, this registration mechanism turns a fun physical challenge into a measurable tool for long-term customer acquisition and targeted marketing loops.
Phase 02: Gamified Spatial Design + OOH
Transforming an open campus field into an immersive brand footprint required an intelligent, self-guided spatial layout. The physical installation features durable, minimalist out-of-home (OOH) structures engineered to withstand an outdoor multi-day event footprint. Serving a dual operational purpose, this custom structural signage anchors the physical boundaries of the obstacle course while simultaneously acting as high-visibility instructional hubs. Participants are given immediate, bite-sized survival educational context right at the point of action, seamlessly blending competitive gamification with real-world safety training.
The Field Kit: Tactile Brand touchpoints
To completely immerse participants in the survival challenge narrative, every physical touchpoint was engineered to mirror real-world outdoor expedition gear. The activation’s visual design extends across an integrated ecosystem of tactile brand assets—including customized high-visibility course signage, specialized tactical field gear, collectible achievement merit badges, and a comprehensive printed field guide layout. By producing high-end, functional merchandise and physical collateral, the brand footprint moves beyond passive marketing to leave competitors with a tangible, premium artifact from the experience.
