Nike at Cremerie de Paris
Nike took over the Cremerie de Paris N°1 — probably the world's most iconic pop-up store location, in the heart of the 1st arrondissement, where brands from around the globe unveil their latest creations. Discover the full story and pictures on the official Cremerie de Paris page.
Phil Knight, a former runner at the University of Oregon, believed high-quality Japanese running shoes could compete with expensive German brands. He partnered with his former coach, Bill Bowerman, and started importing shoes made by the Japanese company Onitsuka Tiger (now ASICS). At first, Knight sold shoes from the trunk of his car at track meets.
In 1971, Blue Ribbon Sports split from Onitsuka Tiger and launched its own shoe brand: Nike. The name “Nike” came from the Greek goddess of victory. The famous Swoosh logo was designed by graphic-design student Carolyn Davidson.
For Euro 2012, Nike planned a very original ad campaign called the “Nike Barbershop.” Auditoire, the ad agency, went to see Cremerie de Paris — but Cremerie de Paris had never hosted an event before, and it was almost impossible for a “newcomer” to land the “Pop Up Store contact” of the year.
Before hosting Pop Up Stores, Cremerie de Paris had operated an avant-garde internet café. The café had started in 1995, at a time when Paris hotels were not yet connected. The internet connection made it possible to meet all kinds of people you don't meet every day.
In 1999, Cremerie de Paris crossed the path of a man who had achieved an amazing sports performance. He was famous for an extravagant trip: the first flight to the Moon. Not realising who the visitor really was, a friendship developed, and Cremerie de Paris and the astronaut met many times. In fact, Mr and Mrs Aldrin liked to travel to Paris, and every year they send an email to Cremerie de Paris: “We are coming to Paris, we are staying at the Ritz — do you want to do something with us?”
Thus the magic of the past made it possible to land the “Nike Barbershop” contract, and the career of an iconic “Pop Up Store location” — soon becoming a “Meeting Place of the World's most famous Brands” — was launched. The magic of the Nike Barbershop also helped get through the “impossible-to-survive, never-ending” construction of the Marguerite de Navarre metro exit.
The Nike Barbershop was extremely beautiful
Nike built a temporary “barbershop experience” Pop Up in Paris that looked and felt like a real retro barber shop — but it was also part brand space, part event, part exhibition. It wasn't just about haircuts: it was designed as an immersive hangout space for football culture and street style.
The Barbershop was designed by Antoine Leca and Victoire Guillaumet from the agency Auditoire. Many footballers — like Mario Balotelli, Mamadou Sakho and Javier Pastore — were also part of the event.
- 📢WhatNike set up a pop-up store at Cremerie de Paris.
- 📍WhereCremerie de Paris N°1 · 11 rue des Déchargeurs — angle 15 rue des Halles, 75001 Paris
- 🚊Getting thereChâtelet–Les Halles (RER A·B·D, M1·4·7·11·14), exit N°1 Marguerite de Navarre
- ✨Did you know?A place tied to the child Louis XIV, Coco Chanel and the first Paris internet café — where Steve Jobs once came by.
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The Nike Pop Up was so beautiful it became part of Cremerie de Paris History
When a Cremerie de Paris Pop Up Store is well done, something unique comes with it. The Expo becomes part of the history of a landmark that is a crossroads between past and future — the same place that saw every Bourbon King of France walk through its courtyard at VB (Hôtel de Villeroy-Bourbon) was, at the very dawn of the Internet, an avant-garde Internet café. The Nike Pop Up Store continues to be admired from the homepage of VB.com — the only "two-letter dot-com" in the world connected to a Pop Up Store / Museum location. Thus Nike becomes an online tourist attraction on a prestigious "Visit" tourism website. Internet Users and Paris Lovers will keep discovering the Nike event through time.