Scooptopia

Colorful Four Square ice cream shop interior with a bright yellow wall, rainbow-colored cone decorations hanging from the ceiling, and checkered seating booths in pastel colors. A menu board features various ice cream flavors and treats.

An ice cream pop-up in the heart of town.
—

Spatial activation design for Four Square

Four Square were launching a bold new flagship store in the heart of Britomart—their first in the central city. But with weeks to go until the doors opened, the license to sell alcohol was tied up—and months away from approval. This left a large footprint instore that needed to be filled. And quickly.

Note: This project was completed while Josh was employed by FCB, and they have graciously allowed its publication here.

Close-up of a sign with the word 'LICK' in white on a yellow background, and part of another sign orange on a pink background, with pink and purple lighting effects.
Colorful cone-shaped pendant lights hanging from a ceiling, with exposed brick walls and windows in the background.

Instead of a barrier, we saw the perfect opportunity to engage with the central Auckland locals, loudly announcing the arrival of the new store. Four Square have a deep existing connection with ice cream. Many Kiwis flock to their stores while on their holidays to grab a cone, and we wanted to leverage that connection—creating the biggest and best Four Square ice cream experience our customers had seen.

Working with the team at Retail Dimension, we brought the Four Square brand to expressive life as we created our ice cream boutique. The hero touchpoint was our expressive archway, a fantastical layering of light and colour, sprinkled with delicious messaging. 

Colorful Four Square ice cream Scooptopia display with various candy names and slogans in bright, bold fonts.

Concept

Colorful diagram graphic featuring the word 'SCOOTOPIA' at the top and various playful food-related words and phrases like 'LICK,' 'YUM YUM YUM,' 'COOKIES & CREAM,' and 'VANILLA BEAN,' arranged within a colorful arch design.
Colorful checkered background with the words 'Scooptopia' and 'Four Square' overlaid in bold white font.

Refurbished hardwood floors, heritage brickwork, and the freshly installed wine fridges meant there were plenty of factors we had to work around. We settled on a modular approach, intermixed with custom fabrication, which gave the feeling of permanence, but ensured that our install could be re-used for future activations.

Our new brand graphic elements were perfectly suited, we leveraged our bespoke typefaces, already packed with gooey personality, and selected a fresh colour palette, applied in dazzling chequers, that tapped into milk bar vernacular.

Colorful signs with playful lettering, with multiple phrases arranged on a multicolored wall.
A row of four white bar stools around a high green table with drip shapes in a room with brick walls and wooden floors.
Colorful room with blue, white, and yellow walls, featuring a checkered wall design with pink, yellow, green, and orange squares. There is a small round table with a multicolored mosaic top, two yellow conical chairs, and a white conical stool.

Behind the counter, the existing refrigeration units were used to display large format photographic prints, shot by Victoria Baldwin.

Extra touchpoints, including an infinity mirror, 100s & 1000s table tops, and a drippy leaner all were crafted to engage the customers, and provide plenty of additional sharing opportunities.

Two ice cream cones topped with colorful sprinkles and drizzled with chocolate, held in a person's hand against a pink background with scattered sprinkles.
Assorted ice cream cones and bowls of strawberries on a blue background.
Colorful ice cream and candy shop with glass refrigerators, ice cream parlor decorations, and vibrant wall and counter designs.
A person wearing white pants and a white shirt with a pink background, with two scoops of purple ice cream with sprinkles in the pocket of their pants.
Colorful wall art with the phrase 'YUM YUM YUM' in yellow letters on an orange background, surrounded by bright pink and yellow lighting.
Colorful neon mirror sign of an ice cream scoop, featuring the words 'SCOOPTOPIA' in pink, blue, and other vibrant colors, reflected on a shiny surface.
A person with pink nail polish and a yellow beaded bracelet is pouring caramel sauce from a can over a scoop of vanilla ice cream in a white cup against a bright yellow background.
Colorful indoor seating area with a small round table covered in multicolored confetti, surrounded by yellow and white stools, against walls and a partition covered in multicolored checkered tiles.

Likely Suspects:
Josh O’Neill (at FCB)

Collaborators:
Photography by Victoria Baldwin & Michael Braid, Project management & Creative Direction by the wider FCB New Zealand team.