Porsche x SXSW
Porsche’s SXSW activation turned Tumbalong Park into a rotating creative hub – spotlighting art collaborations, daily hero cars and premium hospitality.
Venue
Tumbalong Park
Location
Sydney
The Brief
Porsche came to SXSW 2023 with a clear challenge: cut through a crowded landscape of brand activations and earn attention from both festival-goers and the broader public at Tumbalong Park. The brief was to connect Porsche with creativity and the arts and build desirability by showing a different side of the brand. It needed to feel accessible, but still premium. A space that could pull people in while everything else competed for their attention.
We Imagined It
We anchored the activation in a rotating program of creative collaboration. Across the event, we showcased distinct art forms through partnerships with photographer Dan Allen, Fine Line Tattoos (Cholo), and artist Karan Singh, culminating in the reveal of a custom graphic wrap. Alongside the creative moments, we built a high-end pop-up experience with considered hospitality: Lode Pies and a custom coffee cart that elevated the offering without overcomplicating the format. Each day featured a different hero car, building momentum and encouraging repeat visitation. The idea was simple: make Porsche feel embedded in the creative community of SXSW, not adjacent to it.
We Designed It
We designed a custom Spacecube that could shift across the days – a flexible shell that carried changing creative content while still functioning as a clean, premium stage for the vehicles. The build allowed cars to be seen from the outside, drawing in onlookers, while still creating a contained environment once guests stepped inside. A large car stage extended from one side, giving the cars a strong physical presence and clear sightlines. Bold colour choices helped the footprint stand out in the park environment, while frequent turnover kept the space feeling new, a venue with movement, not a static display.
We Made It Happen
We were onsite for over a week, managing the project end-to-end: design and renders, production scheduling, site management, custom builds, finishes and hospitality plus talent and guest management to deliver daily programming smoothly. Large-format graphics and content brought the collaborations to life, supported by workshops and meet-and-greets with Dan Allen, Cholo, and Karan Singh.
What the Experience Felt Like
It landed as a creative safe space inside the noise of SXSW, open, approachable, and genuinely enjoyable. Guests could get up close with the cars, but it didn’t feel like a showroom. It felt like a place to spend time. Most importantly, it made Porsche feel accessible without diluting the brand – a premium experience that welcomed people in, offered something real, and left them with a sense they’d seen a side of Porsche they don’t usually get to access.
