Davis Cup Finals – Rakuten

Madrid

Outline

As the main sponsor of the 2021 Davis Cup Finals, Rakuten required a sleek, yet warm and welcoming, ambient space that reminded visitors about the brand’s cultural origins, instead of a conventional corporate space.

Case

The Davis Cup was founded more than 100 years ago, in 1900. Since then, it has become the most important men’s tennis world championship, held in various countries, and attracting many important patrons.

For the 2021 Davis Cup Finals, Octagon selected us as their partner to design and deliver the hospitality lounge for Rakuten, one of Japan’s most prestigious providers of e-commerce solutions.

Rakuten has become one of its country’s biggest names in the electronic and digital marketplace. We decided to design a lounge area that mixed the novelty of the digital age with the warm aesthetics found in traditional Japanese spaces. With networking being important for Rakuten, we made sure to offer a lounge experience where guests could relax and talk business in a soothing environment.

We created an atmosphere that is both unique and welcoming for guests

Facts

11-day event
142 competing nations
18 national teams reaching the final
60,000+ spectators
200 sqm of Rakuten hospitality

Aspects

co-production with Octagon
look and feel concept
3D high resolution renderings
project management and planning
space design & lounge decoration
custom-made structures
furniture & greenery
audio-visuals
branding & corporate logos
on-site logistical management

Work process

Our team worked hand in hand with Octagon, one of the leading sports marketing agencies on the Spanish and global market, to deliver the Rakuten hospitality space.

Since the beginning, our goal was to develop a lounge concept that would work as a showcase for Rakuten’s image as an innovator in the e-business world, mixed with the relaxed ambience found in the cultural origins of the company without falling into any cliché.

Colours have been essential when developing the look & feel concept of the lounge. We took special care in choosing the palette, from soft creams and greys mixed with black, reaching the tone combination that transmits sophistication and tranquillity. With the accent colour being red, we made sure that guests would feel and experience the brand when enjoying the lounge.

We accentuated the desired effect by using various plant and flower species. Furthermore, we focused on structural details conceived as abstract forms of traditional elements inspired by Japanese interior design (for example see-through division walls inspired by shoji sliding doors).

Re-imagining the customer experience is an effective way to create special ambiences that will enhance brand recognition – this is the approach we took.
Theresa Baum, Account Director

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