For a few weeks, every four years, eyes are fixed on the world’s top athletes. As a sportswear brand, working closely with professional athletes, it’s not just an exciting moment to watch them perform, it’s an opportunity to show up together for fans and athletes in a big way. In preparation for the summer 2024 events, our team took a piece of the On lab in Zurich and replicated it in Paris to open a temporary space from July 25-September 8. Months of ideating and planning resulted in the opening of On Labs Paris, a space of more than 7500 sq ft to host public programming, community runs, a dedicated athlete space, and the first public presentation of our latest innovation, LightSpray™.
Every detail from spatial design and visual design, to art direction and copywriting, community engagement, social media, and athlete support, has had a dedicated team behind it all. Then, throw in the logistics of transporting, presenting and running our robot to showcase LightSpray™ to the world. All while our teams across the globe are keeping daily operations running smooth from Tech to Supply Chain, Finance and Ecomm. Meet some of the team behind the work on the ground to get a small glimpse of what it takes to build up a global event, years in the making.
Groundbreaking innovation, five years in the making
This is a handful of the team behind LightSpray™, our revolutionary technology that unites robotics and materials innovation to create a shoe-upper in a single three-minute, minimal-waste process, cutting CO2 emissions by 75% in comparison to standard models. They presented LightSpray™ to the world for the first time at On Labs Paris.
The first time we saw the filament extruding from the nozzle, forming loop after loop into an endless helix that, with the movement of the robotic arm, became a clearly defined shoe upper. The process remains extremely satisfying to this day, almost drifting into a meditative state. Seeing the actual impact we have with the LightSpray™ technology is really the ultimate ‘aha’ moment. Not only the amount of manufacturing steps but also the CO2 equivalent emissions that we were able to cut down was actually mindblowing once we visualized them.
“There is no rulebook to follow in a project like this. Every single team member had to get out of their comfort zone and learn a completely new skill. Trust is the most important thing. Trust in the team, trust in yourself, and trust that obstacles can be overcome again and again.”
From left to right: Damian Schneider (Director of Innovation Design), Valentina Mandozzi (Sr. Marketing Lead for Sustainability & Innovation), Marie Georgarakis (Innovation Engineer Lead), Johannes Voelchert (Innovation Technology Design Senior Lead)
Creating the perfect space
Physically building On Labs Paris and our presence in the city had different dimensions, from copy to typography, design and construction, it all had to align seamlessly. Anna, Felix, Nathan, Laura and Dominik (not pictured) were part of the team that made it happen.
We had the chance to be really bold with the space having visual freedom to give the words the power they were intended to have. Using ‘LightSpray™’ and ‘Lighter than humanly possible,’ as large-scale installations gives the words presence, and sticks in people’s minds from wherever they are in the space. Also, designing for a brand always means finding a balance between keeping close to its origin but also questioning how its identity stays relevant over time and how it can be localized and adapted to such a unique moment. We had to create a zoning that both seemed logical and organic but also composing with all the different specifications of the space. So, walking into the space about two weeks before opening and seeing everything materialize, along with the faces of everyone who had worked so hard, was magical.
"It is quite challenging to start from scratch on such an ambitious project of this immense importance. We tried many different concepts until being convinced by something. At one moment it was a topic we didn't want to talk about together because we knew that it would take many hours to be aligned on something. The final zoning seems simple – and it’s often like that, if something seems to be simple and normal, it means that we did our job well.
From left to right: Anna Gorichenko (Experiential Graphic Designer), Nathan Studer (Spatial Activation Design Senior Lead), Felix Spuhler (Spatial Event Designer), Laura Clarke (Copy Lead), Dominik Ulmann, Graphic Design Lead (not pictured)
Forging a creative vision
Fergus, Diane, Ruben and Adrian (not pictured) are a part of the creative team behind our ‘Dream Together’ message and the artistic direction that brought it to life in the lead up to On’s presence in Paris and in all initiatives during the activation.
"When this project kicked off, none of us realized how broad the scope was going to be. We’ve had to navigate a complex patchwork of large projects, from brand films to physical spaces, with similar delivery dates. Working as a team in an agile and reactive way with a healthy dose of good humor was essential, and got us through some insanely busy times."
From left to right: Fergus Jackson (Creative Lead), Ruben Faccini (Art Director, Specialist), Diane Deschenaux (Art Director, Senior Lead), Adrian Pirlet (Art Director, Senior Specialist – not pictured).
Orchestrating the show
Caspar, Jeanne and Lena are the core team behind the orchestration of On Labs Paris and all the activities surrounding it, connecting the dots across all teams to bring to life not only the space but also the 2-week programming with community runs, film screenings and panel talks.
“Our team relied on many other teams to execute the vision. When everyone came together, that is when the magic happened. Seeing On Labs Paris full of people enjoying the space for the first time was something we’ll never forget. We did something pretty cool with the effort and dedication from all of our teammates who made it happen.”
From left to right: Caspar Pfennigsdorf (Head of Olympics Marketing), Lena Weidenbruch (Olympics Marketing Senior Specialist), Jeanne Masson (Olympics Marketing Specialist)
Documenting the humans behind performance
Michael and Gessica led the charge on our short film series, presenting athlete storytelling in an intimate and human way, to showcase that when we dream together no dream is impossible.
Producing four films in four months across multiple continents and storylines is not for the faint of heart. Through our creative spirit, determination, resilience, and passion, we were able to bring new stories to life that show On athletes in ways they’ve never been seen before. From being stuck in South Africa due to a last-minute change in production, to seeing Courteney Cox and Iga Swiatek play tennis together in Paris, as part of the premiere of our film Beyond Number One : a wild dream – imagined months earlier – turned into a historic reality for On and the world’s tennis community.
"Our team secured crucial early support by impressing the true nature of On’s Dream Together film series – character-driven filmmaking designed to elevate individual humanity over athletic accolades."
From left to right: Gessica Giulini (Film & Documentary Lead), Michael Paul Stephenson (Head of Film & Documentary)
Behind the athletes, all the way
Our athletes are center stage during the summer events in Paris. Jacob and Silja are a key part of the team working hand-in-hand with our athletes and their teams to ensure they’re taken care of in all facets when they’re not competing.
It was clear quite early on that we wouldn't know until very late on who would actually be competing this year. This made it challenging to finalize pictures, content, quotes, athlete gifts, products needed, etc. However, we were prepared for the necessary sprint and mastered it together with the teams. Through a lot of dialogue, we also managed to show all perspectives and dimensions of our activations in Paris and celebrate our athletes and their stories while respecting all regulations.
“When we finally received confirmation of the full athlete roster for this years competition we proudly celebrated how far we have came in just 3 years since Tokyo in terms of quality and quantity of athletes, athlete partnership and service, athlete integration and activation and variety and performance of products.”
From left to right: Jacob Wessel (Athlete Integration Lead), Silja Mühlebach (Athlete Manager)
Linking all the threads
Making sure everything (and everyone) is aligned, Alex and Mo looked after our global marketing and brand storytelling across all touchpoints to sign-off on a seamless presentation in Paris.
"For some of us, LightSpray™ has been a growing reality for years. But anyone joining the project has felt the same, that it's an honor to collaborate with so many passionate, dedicated people to bring this incredible innovation to the world. The 'aha moment' was the actual curtain drop at the media launch. We knew we had something special, but the audible surprise and delight from those gathered, including journalists from some of the biggest, most iconic global media titles, confirmed it. And it's just the start."
From left to right: Alex Griffin (Chief Marketing Officer), Mo Bruce (Director of Brand Communications)
Beyond Paris, in real-time
Real, in-the-moment action. Our social media team stays on-the-ground making sure audiences around the globe get access to our activities and athlete moments from Paris. This is just a handful of the team that’s taking fans along for the journey through our social media channels.
"Looking at all of the amazing plans that the brand has in Paris this summer, we stood back and realized that we shouldn’t be scared to have fun with social and experiment with different ways to bring our stories to life on social."
From left to right: Georgia Taunton (Social Graphic Designer), Joana Gasparini (Social Media Specialist), David Watkins (Social Media Senior Specialist), Elliott Saliba (Head of Social Media)
Meaningful partnerships, max impact
Nadine, Naomie and Niel are part of team building the right partnerships that are authentic and able to spread the message by reaching a broader audience.
By adapting the creative briefs and hosting regular check-ins with our partners, we were able to bring to life Dream Together activities that gave our partners enough creative freedom to showcase Paris the On way. When the countdown clock fell below 100-days back in April, briefing partners correctly became more present so we could help set up partners for success.
“Long-term partnerships amplify brand authenticity and engagement. And so we explored the range of activities at On Labs Paris that connected our partners' experiences on-the-ground in Paris to create a multitude of touchpoints. “
From left to right: Naomie Samarou (Influencer Marketing & Partnerships Senior Specialist), Niel Lee (Influencer Marketing & Partnerships Senior Specialist), Nadine Streess (Influencer Marketing & Partnerships Lead)
French community au coeur
Hometown heroes Audrey and Brice make sure every box is ticked for events, building and activating the community in Paris with touch points throughout the city and core programming at On Labs Paris.
"There was a lot of complexity working all together, sharing the information at the right time to move in the same direction. Of course, we have done that in the past but here, it was just on another level. On a team level, we’ll never forget the passion that brought us together to push us to the limit. It’s 100% the passion that unites us above everything else. Hosting and working on such a massive global sporting event in your own city – when you’re also a sports enthusiast – has a very special vibe. It’s been a dream."
From left to right: Brice Blanquier (Events Producer Lead), Audrey Huchet (Paris Marketing Lead)
Connecting the dots
Behind every cross-functional, master project is a team making sure all the strings are pulled at the right time. Across different teams and functions, Elodie, Lucy and Peter each played a crucial role in producing, project managing and campaign management from marketing the Olympic kits to on-site activations.
The first three days of the On Labs Paris kickoff were truly unforgetable. There was something truly exciting about it. Despite the long days, hard work and hectic pace, it was a moment where we all came together to achieve a common goal. Everyone pitched in and helped—whenever someone struggled, others would step in to assist. It was a true display of team spirit.
"The many regulations caused more than a few premature grey hairs. However, when all the pieces finally came together, the events were planned, and we saw the On Labs Paris come to life, it was an incredible moment.”
From left to right: Elodie Mura (Project Manager Lead), Peter Jaray (Marketing Campaign Lead), Lucy Dang (Studio Producer Senior Specialist)
Celebrating everyone who moves
Right To Run is our social impact program, aimed at protecting and promoting everyone’s right to run and move. Joumana and the RTR team brought our social impact partnership program to Paris working with our partners to build out public programming.
“Seeing people coming together in such a special space like On Labs for the Right To Run panel, connected and present towards disruptive change is something I’ll never forget. People, design and movement intertwined created an energy that was pure magic.”
Joumana Baalbaki (Marketing Specialist for Social Impact)
Bringing Paris to the global team
Our internal events masterminds, Charlie and Cindy are part of the team behind the efforts to bring everything happening in Paris back to our team’s around the globe – helping bring everyone at On into the events of Paris as one.
We moved the date of our Global Town Hall to livestream it for the whole team on the official day the sporting events kicked off in Paris and in order to welcome a very special On partner who just joined us. It was worth the extra hustle and increased pressure to get there, and it has been the most rewarding thing to celebrate this level of success.
"To see the engagement and excitement of our teams globally and how involved they have been in our internal events roadmap and to see a small idea built into something big and globally rolled out will never fail to amaze us."
From left to right: Charlie Gannon (Senior Lead for Internal Events), Cindy Follonier (Specialist for Internal Events)
Opening our largest flagship store, ultra-fast
As our EMEA retail lead, Chelsea and her team are behind opening our latest flagship and second store in Paris. At its opening in July 2024, the Champs-Élysées location is our largest retail space to date and the fastest turnaround time to have opened a new store.
"We hired 100 people in half the time normally needed to open our Champs-Élysées store. We organized the multiple department priorities and supported coordinating all partnerships to get through the expedited process. Only when the Store Leadership and I took a photo in front of the hoarding that really landed that we actually did it."
Chelsea Wheeler (Senior Lead EMEA Retail)