OVERVIEW
Case Study Summary
Client: Adidas Industry: Sportswear & Retail
Challenge: Launching the Adidas Ultraboost in a competitive mall environment in Tel Aviv by creating a “stop-and-stare” experience that converts passersby into engaged shoppers.
Solution: Studies show that 3D holograms boost engagement, dwell time and overall customer satisfaction. Adidas chose to capitalise on the visible innovation of their product, making it impossible to ignore.
Key Outcomes
A 360-degree holographic cube outside the Tel Aviv store ensuring that wherever a shopper was standing in the mall, the Ultraboost launch found them.
A HYPERVSN Solo unit in a custom accessory inside the store, delivering a more intimate product storytelling experience for customers who had already been drawn in.
ADIDAS
About the Client
Country & Region
Adidas was founded by Adolf “Adi” Dassler in Germany in 1949, having originated as the “Dassler Brothers Shoe Factory” in 1924 before splitting in 1948. Today the brand is headquartered in Herzogenaurach, Germany, with a presence spanning North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific and emerging markets worldwide. This case study features its flagship store in Tel Aviv.
Innovation & Sustainability
Adidas is executing its “Own the Game” strategy, focusing on increasing direct-to-consumer sales and sustainability. The brand’s innovations include technologies like Boost cushioning, Primeknit fabric and 4D printing. The brand aims for sustainability by using recycled materials and minimising its carbon footprint, appealing to eco-conscious consumers.
Market Position & Scale
Adidas is the second-largest sportswear producer globally after Nike, with record quarterly revenues of €6.63 billion in Q3 2025. The brand gained early fame after Jesse Owens won Olympic medals in their spiked shoes in 1936, and became a leader in football after West Germany won the FIFA World Cup in 1954 wearing Adidas boots with screw-in studs.
01. Challenge
Creating Memorable In-Store Experiences That Drive Engagement Among Target Audience
CHALLENGE
Turning Storytelling Into Retail Experience
A product launch serves many purposes for an organisation beyond just making the product available for purchase. In the sneaker market particularly, a launch is often a huge cultural moment, and the in-store experience is expected to match that energy. Creating a compelling story around the product can enhance its market introduction and resonate with the target audience. For design-led, innovative brands, the product is the story – capturing this in visually captivating ways is often an effective launch strategy of a product.
The challenge for Adidas was a familiar one for any brand operating at scale: turning their launch story into an in-store experience that is genuinely memorable. Building anticipation for a product can significantly enhance its chances of success in the market. Throughout the launch period, activations needed to stop customers, hold their attention and give them a reason to engage with the product rather than walk past it. Static displays and printed point-of-sale materials are fast to produce but easy to ignore. In a retail environment saturated with competing visuals, they rarely create the sense of occasion that a significant sneaker launch demands. Effective product launch strategies involve creating awareness and generating interest among target audiences. This is a critical factor in a product launch and, while online plays a huge part in this, the physical store is essential.
CHALLENGE
Standing Out in a High-Distraction Mall Environment
For the Ultraboost launch at Adidas’s Tel Aviv store, this challenge was amplified by the mall environment. In a mall, shoppers are bombarded with information – shopfronts, billboards, eateries, pop-ups, and a swathe of other shoppers. Capturing their attention requires intercepting them before they have even decided to walk your way, not just appealing to those who are already at the door. The Ultraboost launch needed a format that could function as a destination in its own right – something visible enough to pull people across a concourse, compelling enough to make stopping feel worthwhile, and surprising enough to encourage them to capture and share their experience.
Pain Point: Static in-store displays fail to generate the excitement, dwell time or shareability that high-stakes sneaker launches demand, particularly in the context of a busy mall environment.
Static product displays struggle to create the memorable, immersive experiences that drive customer engagement, loyalty and conversion during a product launch.
In a high-footfall mall environment, traditional retail formats cannot intercept shoppers at distance or compete with the sensory noise of the surrounding environment.
02. Challenge
Translating Product Innovation into a Physical Retail Experience
CHALLENGE
Building Cultural Momentum Around a Product Launch
A product launch strategy is a comprehensive plan designed to jumpstart, accelerate and scale product adoption once something hits the market. For innovative offerings, educating customers about a new product and its differentiators is critical for driving awareness during a launch. To communicate effectively, it is essential that a brand truly gets to know their customer. A lack of market understanding can lead to unclear value propositions and ineffective messaging during product launches.
Adidas products are defined by their technical innovation and by the cultural stories that surround them. The Samba is a classic soccer-inspired shoe known for its flat, minimalist design and has transitioned into a streetwear icon. The Superstar shoe is famous for its distinctive rubber shell toe and has roots in basketball, becoming a symbol of hip-hop culture. The Adizero series is focused on speed and precision in running, utilising ultra-lightweight materials, while the Stan Smith is a minimalist tennis sneaker recognised for its versatility in everyday wear. Each of these products found their place in the culture, driven by their unique innovation. The Ultraboost needed to do the same.
CHALLENGE
Making Performance Innovation Immediately Understandable
Unlike heritage sneakers like the Samba or Superstar, which carry decades of cultural storytelling, the Ultraboost needed to earn its place in the conversation. Its story is rooted in technology, and technology is better demonstrated than described. The Ultraboost features Boost cushioning technology, providing exceptional comfort and energy return. Adidas needed a way to communicate this in their physical retail spaces in a way that truly connected with customers, bringing the experience to life before they even try on the shoe.
Pain Point: Communicating the technical innovation and cultural depth of Adidas sneakers in-store requires a medium capable of showcasing materials, movement and heritage in a way that stops customers and draws them in.
The gap between the immersive, dynamic content Adidas produces for digital channels and what traditional in-store displays can deliver.
The need to tell a distinct product story for this new launch while aligning with the existing retail store layout.
The Solution Forward-Thinking Product Launch Strategy for Retail
A well-defined product launch strategy helps build anticipation and showcase the unique value of the product and should include a comprehensive messaging strategy that communicates the key benefits of the product. HYPERVSN’s 3D technology excels at visualising the complex product details and compelling brand storytelling that Adidas launches demand.
Why HYPERVSN?
Adidas selected HYPERVSN as the market leader in immersive experiences powered by 3D holography. HYPERVSN’s ability to render product detail with exceptional visual precision made it the natural partner for a product whose entire identity is built on visible innovation.
Hardware Configuration
Two distinct installations working as a single connected system. Outside the store: a custom 360-degree holographic cube structure, with a 4-unit HYPERVSN SmartV Wall on each of its four sides. Inside the store: a single HYPERVSN Solo unit in a custom accessory.
Content Format
Ultraboost product images, brand messaging, campaign visuals and the Adidas logo visualised in high-definition 3D and deployed consistently across both installations to create a unified brand moment inside and outside the store.
Placement Strategy
The external cube was positioned in the mall, near escalators, to intercept foot traffic flowing past the store from any direction with a 360-degree broadcast. The in-store Solo served as a continuation of this journey, deepening product engagement for customers the cube had already drawn in.
Traditional 2D Signage |
HYPERVSN 3D Holograms |
|---|---|
Engagement |
|
| Low, blends into background | High, stands out and elicits emotion |
Storytelling |
|
| Limited, static or 2D animations | Vivid, highly detailed 3D visuals |
Phygital Effect |
|
| Feels separate from or imposed on physical store | Augments and interacts with physical retail environment |
Shareability |
|
| Low | Highly Instagrammable |
How It Works
Product Launch Plan Implementation
01. Content & Creative Production
HYPERVSN’s in-house design team worked with Adidas to develop holographic content centred on the Ultraboost, including product detail shots, Boost cushioning visualisations, brand messaging, campaign visuals and the Adidas logo. The same content ran consistently across both the external cube and the in-store Solo, creating a unified brand experience.
02. Installation & Setup
The installation comprised two complementary components. Outside the store, a custom cube structure was built with a 4-unit HYPERVSN SmartV Wall on each of its four sides creating a 360-degree holographic presence. Inside the store, a single HYPERVSN Solo unit in a custom accessory served as the product storytelling centrepiece.
03. Playback, Control & Updates
All holographic content across both installations was managed remotely through the HYPERVSN CMS and mobile app, giving Adidas’s retail and marketing teams instant control without on-site visits.
Impact in Innovation
Retail Technology That Drives Growth
Visual Engagement
The 360-degree holographic cube outside the store functioned as an unmissable presence in the mall, broadcasting Ultraboost content in every direction simultaneously. Shoppers encountered the sneaker campaign at distance, generating curiosity-driven foot traffic that static storefront displays could never have reached.
Product Storytelling
The two-stage installation created a natural customer journey with the external cube capturing attention and the in-store Solo delivering a more intimate product discovery experience. Both placements featured high-quality, dynamic, innovation-led product storytelling.
Brand Perception
The scale and precision of the installation solidified Adidas’s reputation as an innovator in the sportswear space. It also signalled the high-tech nature of the Ultraboost product itself, positioning it as performance footwear rather than an everyday sneaker.
Social Amplification
Both the external cube and the in-store Solo proved highly shareable, generating organic social content that extended the Ultraboost launch’s reach well beyond the Tel Aviv mall. The 360-degree cube in particular gave shoppers something worth stopping to film.
Sales Enablement
The in-store Solo functioned as a powerful conversation starter, giving the sales team a compelling visual reference point for Ultraboost product conversations. The external holographic cube ensured customers arrived in-store already engaged and intrigued by the Ultraboost.
Operational Flexibility
Remote management through the HYPERVSN CMS gave Adidas full control over both installations without on-site technical support. This allowed for seasonal campaigns, amends based on customer behaviour and last-minute promotions.
Integration & Compatibility
Technology Used
This Adidas Ultraboost launch at Tel Aviv used two complementary HYPERVSN installations:
External: A custom 360-degree cube structure with a 4-unit HYPERVSN SmartV Wall on each of its four sides (16 units in total), positioned in the mall to intercept foot traffic from any direction.
In-store: A single HYPERVSN Solo unit in a custom accessory, delivering focused product storytelling inside the store.
Safety and compliance notes: Proper installation is required to avoid malfunctions or hazards. To prevent consumers from touching the holographic devices, an appropriate distance and/or protective accessories are recommended. HYPERVSN provides set-up support and a range of stylish, practical accessories.
4K resolution with brightness of up to 3,000 nits
Patented technology
Cloud-based CMS for ultimate control
70% less energy consumption than traditional 2D LED screens
YOUR HOW-TO GUIDE
Innovate Your Product Launch Like Adidas
A product launch is a planned and organised effort to release a new product for sale. Here is a step-by-step guide to deploying 3D holographic technology as part of your own launch strategy based on the approach Adidas used to make it work.
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Start with clarity on what the installation needs to achieve. A well-defined product launch strategy helps in aligning various aspects of the launch and optimising resources. Is the priority awareness, education, competitive differentiation or social amplification? The answer will determine specifics of your holographic campaign. Poor timing can significantly damage the success of a product launch, so this must also be taken into account in the launch plan.