CLIENT

Backwoods - Backwoods Always True Records Rolling Loud 2026

ROLE

Experiential Brand Design, Strategy, Production design, Merchandise Lead Design, Social Media Design

CHALLENGE

For this year’s activation, we developed a record store concept that connected Backwoods’ deep roots in music culture with the energy and relevance of Rolling Loud. Our goal was to create a distinctive presence that felt authentic to the brand while establishing a stronger identity in a new market, as Rolling Loud Orlando marked the festival’s first event in the city.

With a smaller footprint than previous West Coast activations, the challenge was creating an experience that delivered an even greater impact. Every element was designed with intention to maximize engagement, encourage exploration, and create meaningful interactions.

We focused on Backwoods’ core audience, ages 25–35+, and asked ourselves a simple question: what would motivate attendees to spend more than five minutes in the space rather than simply taking a photo and moving on? The result was an immersive, culture-driven experience that encouraged guests to interact, participate, and connect with the brand through music, storytelling, merchandise, and shared experiences.

IDEA

To bring the concept to life, we leaned into Backwoods’ deep roots in music culture by blending what consumers already know and love about the brand with a record store experience that felt authentic to Rolling Loud. Throughout the footprint, we showcased Backwoods products alongside curated vinyl selections that highlighted artists with strong cultural ties to the brand, including Biggie, Nas, Nipsey Hussle, Smino, and others.

One of my favorite aspects of the activation was seeing how well the merchandise was received. Beyond designing the apparel graphics, I helped lead the development of a customizable merchandise experience where attendees could hand-pick custom stickers and heat-press them directly onto their shirts. The interactive element encouraged participation, personalization, and deeper engagement with the brand, ultimately becoming one of the most successful touchpoints within the space.

This project was truly an all-hands-on-deck effort, and the impact we made would not have been possible without the incredible collaboration of our creative team: Chad Smith, Lonnie Garner, Tijuana Harvey, and Niranjan Patil.