As Stacy’s Pita Chips continues fighting for positive change for female entrepreneurs, we wanted to inspire others, too. And since you can’t be what you can’t see, hosting a brand experience that would showcase what is possible was imperative.

Aiding in the visibility and growth of female entrepreneurs is the common thread that ties Stacy’s Rise Project together. It is through their thriving entrepreneurial spirits that women may continue to fill seats at a table historically filled solely by men.

Stacy’s partnered with the 2023 Sundance Film Festival to shine a light on a number of exceptional women through the medium of film and a brand-owned space dedicated to the Stacy’s Rise Project.

With Stacy’s as the Official Snack of the 2023 Sundance Film Festival, we brought their story to the most renowned showcase in all of storytelling, with a brand activation that offered a taste of Stacy’s passion.

To support the aims of the Stacy’s Rise Project at Sundance, we developed “Stacy’s Roots to Rise Market” - a multifunctional space to accommodate the wide range of activity planned for the activation:

- Marketplace showcasing the products of 27 Stacy’s Rise protégé female founders.

- Welcoming venue where all festival-goers could feel included and inspired.

- Stage and seating for the Rise film screening, talks and panel discussions

- An event space for cocktail and private events

- Outdoor zone with sampling truck, seating and branding

- Setting for the Getty Images portrait photography collaboration

Designing such a flexible venue was a distinct challenge. We focused on creating an immersive experience that highlighted women’s journeys while representing the spirit of the Stacy’s Rise Project.

To create a memorable activation event, we developed a concept that felt warm and inviting which helped to envelope guests in positivity and possibility.

We created a go-to location for the Festival that was fresh and vibrant while being welcoming in order to encourage the maximum amount of visits and spread the Stacy’s Rise message to the widest possible audience.

The ‘marketplace’ offered an opportunity to showcase the products created by Stacy’s Rise funded and mentored businesses. The products could be purchased via a QR code leading to an online marketplace.

To support the vision of the event thematic elements were integrated within the design:

- Stylised trees to represent growth and development

- Walls filled with inspirational quotes and success stories from women

- A palette of clean fresh colors, representative of Stacy’s Pita Chips

To allow for the required flexibility of the space we needed to design elements that could easily be repositioned for screening and spoken word events. It was important however to avoid any sort of temporary look and feel.

All the elements of the activation came together beautifully. Inside the Stacy’s Roots to Rise Market, we told our brand story while shining a spotlight on women founders and introduced the next class of Stacy’s Rise winners.

The documentary film Rise was developed in partnership with Reece Witherspoon’s Hello Sunshine, and its screening to the Sundance Film Festival audience was a pivotal moment in the history of Stacy’s. We hosted daily screenings at the activation site, panel discussions with guest celebrities, Stacy Madison herself and our featured founders.

• More than 4,000 guests

• 2.5B impressions on social

• 5,700 Stacy’s Pita Chips sampled

• With programming open to both public and private events, Stacy’s accomplished its goal of mass awareness by driving intrigue from press and other brands.