.jpg)
A bespoke physical stepper game was designed, fabricated, programmed, and installed across 6 Adidas store locations in 4 countries for the Pulseboost running shoe launch connecting every participant into a single live competition through a weekly cross-store leaderboard synced in real time. To play, customers put on the Pulseboost and stepped as fast as they could to accumulate points, a mechanic that placed the shoe's core benefit of responsive energy return directly under every competitor's feet before a single word of product description had been read. From hardware fabrication and software development through to cross-store leaderboard integration and multi-site installation, the complete activation was delivered end-to-end.
Adidas wanted shoppers to experience the key benefit of the Pulseboost running shoe its responsive energy return through a fun and interactive challenge rather than traditional advertising. The activation allowed participants to wear the shoes and experience their performance firsthand in a live retail environment.
To bring the campaign to life at scale, we created a connected activation that ran across six stores in four countries. Custom hardware, real-time scoring software, and a shared global leaderboard allowed participants to compete with players in different locations, transforming the launch into an engaging international experience.
"You can tell someone a shoe has energy return. Or you can put it on their feet, turn it into a competition, and let them feel it for themselves while they're fighting to top a leaderboard that stretches across four countries. One of those creates a memory."
Adidas Brand Activation Team
The Adidas Pulseboost Stepper Game gave customers a fun and competitive way to experience the shoe. Instead of simply viewing the product, participants wore the Pulseboost, competed for high scores, and compared their results with players in stores across different countries. This allowed customers to experience the shoe's performance firsthand.
The live leaderboard encouraged repeat participation, with players returning to improve their rankings each week. The project successfully combined custom hardware, software, and real-time connectivity across six stores in four countries, creating one seamless international activation.
We design and build immersive experiences that engage, excite and transform audience interaction combining art, engineering, and next-gen technology to bring brands and spaces to life.
