Pele, is it a brand, is it a store?

Photos by Robert Lowell

A person become a football star, the star becomes a brand, the brand becomes an experience store.

The Pele Soccer Store has opened its doors in Time Square, New York.  Staying truthful to what we believe in, the Pele brand has taken steps to create a new experience for its customers in what we call a ‘brand extension’.  And it has all the perks of a fun urban experience center.

Brands that create new experiences using, well.. their name.  It is but another example of brands leveraging their primary activity by opening a secondary line of business that create for fans a deeper connection with the brand and also create a new fan base.  So lets look at this soccer store dubbed “the great soccer store in the world” and see the activities and experiences it offers its visitors.

Big Screen with seating area to stay and watch championship games. Check

Dedicated area to customize jerseys and cleats (while jersey personalization is expected, personalizing shoes is pretty damn dope, and convenient).  Check

Exclusive footwear from the top brands; Nike, Puma, Adidas and New Balance.  100 Jerseys from around the world. Check

What would you do with your favorite brand. At 1295, we always look at brands in the way they are, and then we work together to think how we can make them be something totally different? A toy, a restaurant, a service, a product, an airlines, even a rocket ship.  Think about your favorite brand. If you could dream of turning it into something else, just for fun, what would you do?  Just to finish off, here are some more shots of the gorgeous shop and historic theater it resides in.  Carlton Architecture was responsible for developing the retail concept in New York.  There are two more locations in total, both in the Sunshine State (Florida), one in Orlando and the in Miami.