Description:

Pit Viper enters meeting room, turns chair around and straddles it. Others sit normal.

Pit Viper: “Hey nerd, we need some Pit Viper displays for stores”

Us: “oh yea, like those boring glass cabinets everyone does?”

Pit Viper: “uhh yea”

Us: “you don’t want a lame glass cabinet, you want to party”

Pit Viper: “go on…….”

Us: (slowly turns around sketch on napkin)

Smoke and lights……….

Maybe this is slightly exaggerated for dramatic purposes but it’s how I remember it.

Our first step in this whole process was taking a look at what others were doing in the market. Glass cabinet, next to glass cabinet, next to glass cabinet…… the only differentiation, an illuminated logo at the top. I started to feel nauseous, so many glasses, behind glass, not to mention I was wearing glasses. That’s 3 layers of refraction, I had to leave.

It was several days and some sleepless nights before I returned to the office. We needed something that would reflect the Pit Viper Philosophy, what it stood for…..An Arcade machine?.

I unzipped my bum bag, took out my Pit Viper checklist and scanned its feasibility.

It was retro
It was futuristic
It was bold
It was daring
And god damn, it would get the party started

It was the perfect fit.

Pit Vipers positive, irreverent and inclusive culture is a catalyst for creativity. No idea is too crazy, in fact, it’s never crazy enough.

From a simple sketch we pushed forward with a prototype that we would trial in New Zealand. This version was complete with lights that changed colour when you toggled the joystick and slurred soundbites when you boofed the buttons.

We set it up instore and watched from afar. Feedback was unbelievable and customer engagement was like nothing we’d seen. It wasn’t just one demographic either. Oldies were reminiscing their space invader days while toddlers would cautiously approach this unknown contraption. No matter what age, the “fart” button would bring a smile to all.

Word got out and Pit Viper wanted more…. worldwide, worldwide, worldwide…..

Together, we formed a tighter brief from our prototype analysis. Storage drawers…not doors, IEC connections for universal plugs, volume control and access, on/off switches, awkwardly placed mirrors, the ultimate soundbite!, the perfect size to pack into a 40ft container?. We had it covered.

The final design would embrace the Pit Viper “Party Mountain” theme. Not only was it a great name for an Arcade, it embodied both the Pit Viper product (quality gear for the activities we love) and ethos (a party, where everyone’s invited). Whether you’re a skier, a cyclist, or some weirdo who rides dolphins, there’s a place for you on Party Mountain and a pair of Pit Vipers fit for porpoise…..

Designed and developed in New Zealand, produced in China and distributed to 12 different countries around the globe, the Arcade has left a huge impression on people both instore and online.

It was such a fantastic project and one heck of a brand to work with. We haven’t got too many slogans of our own but we were thinking we could share this one from Pit Viper:

“We take the ideas that people only dream of doing, do them, and do them good”