lululemon: Get Into It
A campus-led brand activation designed to make lululemon feel accessible, welcoming, and worth investing in for the next generation.
Agency: Optimist Inc.
Role: Senior Account Executive (Brand Experience)
The Context
As part of lululemon’s 2023 brand campaign, Get Into It, the brand set out to connect with a younger audience that admired lululemon’s products but often viewed them as aspirational and out of everyday reach.
To meet students at a moment of heightened energy and excitement, lululemon activated during UCLA Welcome Week, when campus foot traffic and social momentum were at their peak. By hosting a large-scale try-on experience directly in Bruin Plaza, the heart of campus, the brand intentionally sparked curiosity and conversation even before doors officially opened. Load-in, fabrication, and the long queue turned heads, generating organic buzz as students passed through one of UCLA’s busiest areas.
Rather than positioning the moment around transaction, lululemon focused on access and discovery. There was no purchase required. Every product experience was fully on lululemon, signaling a message of generosity, trust, and long-term community investment.
The Strategy
Insight
When a premium brand leads with generosity and access, it builds trust faster than aspiration alone. For students, firsthand experience can transform curiosity into confidence and long-term affinity.
What we did
Created a large-scale, immersive try-on experience centered on hands-on product discovery
Selected Bruin Plaza for its visibility and foot traffic, allowing curiosity and word-of-mouth to drive awareness organically
Extended the activation with a next-day workout experience, reinforcing lululemon as a lived-in brand through movement and community
What couldn’t change
The experience needed to feel generous, respectful, and energetic while maintaining lululemon’s premium brand standards and product integrity.
The Experience
Get Into It. On Us.
At sunrise during UCLA Welcome Week, students lined up before dawn, with some even camping overnight, to participate in the campus-wide try-on event. Over 1,000 students moved through the experience, discovering lululemon’s core bottoms through direct trial in a space designed for flow, comfort, and ease.
The guest journey was carefully orchestrated from line management through exit, allowing high volume without sacrificing warmth or hospitality. By centering the experience on discovery rather than purchase, lululemon created a moment of excitement and goodwill that resonated deeply with students and strengthened its relationship with the campus bookstore partnership.
Get Into It. The Workout.
The following day, lululemon extended the activation through a community workout at Wilson Plaza, led by DOGPOUND instructors. Participants were encouraged to wear lululemon gear, whether previously owned or received at the pop-up, reinforcing continuity between product, movement, and community.
Despite early morning rain impacting turnout, the workout drew a diverse mix of students, staff, and brand advocates. The music, energy, and beautiful courtyard views turned the session into a visible moment of shared movement, drawing in curious passersby and strengthening the brand’s presence beyond the event footprint.
Social Proof
Impact
Over 1,000 students engaged through the try-on experience
Strong buzz and anticipation across campus, driving interest in both the activation and the newly formed UCLA store partnership
Diverse community turnout for the workout, including students, staff, neighbors, and brand advocates
Cemented lululemon’s position as a brand that leads with access, generosity, and community
Together, the experiences strengthened brand affinity on campus and created a lasting impression at the start of the academic year.
My Role
I supported the planning and execution of both activations, managing timelines, partners, and on-site logistics to deliver a seamless guest experience at scale. I partnered closely with internal teams and external collaborators, serving as the primary liaison with the UCLA events team to ensure smooth execution across both days.