Overview
Smash Design partnered with Coca-Cola on a brand experience at the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo, building two installations meant to draw a crowd and get people interacting: a meet-and-greet booth where professional cowboys signed autographs, and a 14-foot horseshoe display with a floating acrylic sign.
Process
We designed both pieces to match Coca-Cola’s branding and fit naturally into the rodeo environment, while building them sturdy enough to handle heavy foot traffic all week. The booth was built from scratch in-house — structure, props, and branded elements — with all digital printing handled internally to keep brand consistency tight.
The 14-foot horseshoe came together separately, with the floating acrylic sign adding a visual element that helped it stand out across the event space. Our team installed both pieces on-site ahead of the activation.
Results
The activation pulled steady crowds throughout the event, and the oversized horseshoe in particular became a popular photo spot, with thousands of attendees stopping to take pictures and share them online — generating real social reach for Coca-Cola beyond the physical event itself.
It’s a good example of what custom brand activations can do when the installation itself gives people a reason to stop and engage, not just look.
