What’s Good, Harlem
Location : Rucker Park, Harlem
Agency : Invisible North
Client : Under Armor
Role : Experiential Designer
Design Team : Jo Cheng, Michael Pigozzi, Ian Taylor
Photographer : Invisible North & Under Armor
Invisible North was tasked with bringing together three of America’s favorite franchises into one successful event - Steph Curry, Under Armor, and Sesame Street. Calling Harlem’s famed Rucker Park home in October of 2021, “What’s Good, Harlem” was a launch event like no other, combining a basketball camp for the city’s best young ballers and a 360 immersive walk into the world of Sesame Street, complete with photo moments, interactive games, a display of the Curry Sesame Street shoes, giveaways, and plenty of easter eggs. The entire “block” was designed to be accessible from all sides, with back of house niches hidden amongst the storefronts and familiar stoops, while our main photo moment, donned Curry’s, was modeled after Sesame Street’s classic convenience store, Mr. Hooper’s. As one of two experiential designers on the team, I designed Curry’s, the overall footprint, the main apartment and stoop, some signage, as well as modeled out these pieces and rendered them for seemingly endless decks.
The Display
Drawing inspiration from the Curry Sesame Street campaign, we designed five sneaker hoops with the look and feel of five of Sesame Street’s favorite characters - Cookie Monster, the Count, Elmo, Big Bird, and Oscar the Grouch - to serve as a backdrop to these new fresh sneaks.
The Games
From a customized pop-a-shot in “Hoop Alley” with Big Bird inspired patterns, to Cookie Monster’s very own “Cookie Drop” Plinko board, games and giveaways were aplenty on our Sesame Street block. Bright colors, character iconography, and Curry UA murals made this part of the block a true feast for the eyes.
The Photo Ops
While the entire block was definitely photo worthy, there were some designated areas meant to snap a pic by the block’s kiddos and parents. We gave the classic Sesame Street brownstone and stoop a brightly colored makeover, complete with an eye-catching pink facade, green shutters, and a bright blue stoop. Oscar the Grouch easter eggs excited visitors with his signature banged up can calling the front sidewalk home and some sneaky signage alluding to him and his classic grumpy demeanor. Mr. Hooper’s convenient store inspired the look and feel of “Curry’s Corner” - a propped out vibrant photo moment
