An East London storefront became the city’s coolest ice cream shop, serving up sandals, self-expression, and summer through a playful retail takeover.
Dr. Martens wanted their ZebZag sandal to become the next summer essential for ASOS consumers and London style-seekers, so we created an immersive branded activation blending influencer engagement with public experience. Scoops & Sandals saw 1 Kingsland Road transformed into a vibrant, graphic ice cream parlour inspired by the attitude and versatility of Dr. Martens sandals.
Our concept was built around the idea “Docs Does Sandals” and brought to life in the form of a contemporary, city-led interpretation of summer, including graphic menus, custom flavour names, limited-run visuals, and tactile styling moments. The experience positioned the ZebZag as both a functional summer staple and a style statement.
We transformed the space into a fully branded Dr. Martens x ASOS ice cream parlour, complete with custom vinyls, merchandise, and playful flavour names like Sweet Like Suede. A curated styling rail integrated the ZebZag sandals throughout the environment, while artist Akiya hosted a screen-printing workshop where guests customised bandanas and ASOS tees. Winning ice cream cups unlocked prizes including sandals, mesh bags, and bespoke accessories, adding a playful, shareable retail mechanic.
With DJs performing behind an ice cream-style booth, a creator-led workshops and influencer previews, we ensured the activation tapped into London’s fashion and creator communities without feeling overly staged. We considered both content creation and real-world interaction, designing an experience that blurred the line between pop-up, retail environment, and social hangout.
What could’ve been a fleeting product launch turned into a fully immersive and memorable brand experience. With Scoops & Sandals, we helped Dr. Martens and ASOS position the ZebZag sandal as more than a summer shoe, making it fit right in with the fashion and culture surrounding it.
CLIENT: DR. MARTENS x ASOS
WHAT WE DID: STRATEGY, CONCEPT, DESIGN, PRODUCTION
LOCATION: SHOREDITCH, LONDON