Brands and marketers have been attracted to the Las Vegas Sphere for advertising opportunities and The UPS Store has become the latest brand to utilize the exosphere as well as its technology to get its ad in front of the eyes of consumers who may see it from both the ground and the sky.
The ads that ran from July 8 to July 14, showcased a vibrant array of items—no matter how oddly shaped or fragile—packed and shipped by The UPS Store. With seamless transitions and lively visuals, it transforms these items into a fantastical world. The ads uses boxes as bright, creative pixel art to recreate iconic landmarks, highlighting The UPS Store’s ability to pack anything and ship it anywhere.
Michelle Van Slyke, SVP of Marketing & Sales at The UPS Store, noted that the campaign’s unexpected format and innovative authenticity resonated with audiences. She emphasized that it demonstrated how The UPS Store network builds trust among small business owners and consumers nationwide through its expertise and tailored offerings.
“This campaign was a strong way for The UPS Store to show up in a bold way for our small business owners,” said Slyke. “Our brand is a bright spot for small business owners and entrepreneurs, and our immersive videos on the iconic Las Vegas Sphere created a lasting impression to bring that relationship to life.”
In addition to its Sphere activation, The UPS Store used drone-captured video footage of the striking imagery, amplifying it across both brand and executive social media channels. They also hosted a “Selfie with the Sphere” photo contest during their biennial Convention in Las Vegas, generating excitement among franchisees and attendees through the Convention app. The social media campaign resulted in 681,000 video views and 27,904 engagements across platforms, as reported by the social media analytics platform Hootsuite.
Slyke explained that when developing the campaign, The UPS Store began by researching previous Sphere brand activations to understand how to move beyond traditional aesthetics and create powerful imagery that evokes an emotional response. With a blend of creativity and careful planning, the team worked to find the best way to captivate their shared audiences in an unexpected manner. Collaborating with Doner Company, Assembly, and the Sphere Studios team, they utilized best-in-class animatics to tell stories inspired by The UPS Store brand.
“The feedback we received from The UPS Store franchise owners and consumers was more than we expected. We garnered nearly 70 million total impressions during the running of the advertisement and saw positive comments across social media platforms, including one user who wrote, ‘Best thing to ever hit the Sphere,’ and another shared, ‘That is spectacular and makes me proud to be part of this community,’” said Slyke.
This initiative follows The UPS Store’s recent tribute to mothers, where they featured mom-owned businesses across the Austin, TX metropolitan area with an interactive out-of-home (OOH) UPS truck display. The UPS Store aimed to make a bold and impactful statement, challenging creative conventions by partnering with Sphere to craft a larger-than-life storytelling experience for consumers.
“After seeing the quantitative and qualitative results, we are proud of a campaign that conveyed a distinctive visual style that authentically aligned with our brand identity,” said Slyke.
