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Beyond the Pop-Up: Raul Rodriguez Reveals the Secrets to Flawless Luxury Brand Activations

For 25 years, Raul Rodriguez, a proud Miami native, and his acclaimed experiential design and production agency, 2R Creative, have been quietly shaping the visual landscape of South Florida’s most exclusive events. From orchestrating high-profile takeovers during Art Basel to designing spectacular, temporary installations for global powerhouses like Gucci, Louis Vuitton, and Moët & Chandon, 2R Creative has established a reputation for transforming a brand’s vision into a physical, unforgettable, and often viral moment. As a creative veteran, Rodriguez’s understanding of translating luxury ethos into immersive environments is unparalleled, making his agency the go-to partner for those seeking a cutting-edge presence in one of the world’s most dynamic cities.


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Hall of Visions by Pilar Zeta for Faena Art (2021)


With Miami’s high-profile event season approaching—including preparations for Miami Art Week and the ongoing production of major projects like the Amex Tunnel at Hard Rock Stadium—the logistics and creative planning at 2R Creative are in full swing. We sit down with Raul Rodriguez to get an inside look at the secrets behind producing flawless luxury brand activations. We explore how his agency maintains a creative edge with its extensive in-house design and fabrication capabilities, why brands continue to gravitate toward Miami for their biggest launches, and what it truly takes to dream up the next viral pop-up installation.


With 25 years in the business, you’ve been on the ground floor as experiential marketing evolved. How have you seen the industry, particularly in the Miami market, shift over the last two decades, and what are the biggest changes in client expectations?


Raul Rodriguez: There have been two pivotal moments that have shaped the modern experiential marketing and events industry, both overall and specifically in Miami.


The first was the birth of social media. Once brands recognized the power of this new tool, it completely changed the game. Events were no longer designed just for the few hundred people attending in person — they’re now created for the millions of viewers who experience them online. In the past, we could control the press coverage and which images were released from an event. Now, everyone is press, and everyone has a camera. Every detail of an event needs to be a “photo moment” and translated on camera. Success is no longer measured solely by attendance numbers but by volume of posts, shares and engagement the event generates across platforms.


The second major turning point for Miami’s experiential landscape was the rise of Art Basel. The influx of artists, brands and companies that came to activate during this time brought new expectations for execution and design at levels Miami hadn’t seen before. Before Art Basel, agencies from New York and Los Angeles were often brought in because local teams didn’t yet have the capabilities to deliver at that standard. Now, we are proud to be known as the “go-to” for this level of work and execution.



Art Basel and Miami Art Week are hyper-competitive periods for experiential installations. What is the ‘secret sauce’ for successfully producing a high-impact event during such a high-stakes cultural moment?


Raul Rodriguez: Aside from consistency and delivering high-quality products, I would say the secret is in the relationships you build. We’re lucky enough to have long-standing clients who’ve trusted us for many years. That kind of trust gives us the freedom to experiment, push creative boundaries and try new things – which is essential during moments like Art Basel, when standing out requires bold ideas and precise execution.


When clients are constantly switching vendors or focused only on finding the lowest cost, it limits how far you can go creatively. You tend to play it safe, sticking to what’s secure rather than what’s possible. But when there’s mutual trust and partnership, you can take calculated risks – and that’s when the high-impact experiences happen.


2R Creative works with top luxury clients like Hermes and Cartier. What unique challenges come with translating a high-end brand’s exclusive, ephemeral vision and ethos into a temporary, physical installation?


Raul Rodriguez: The key is in the details. The brands we work with are leaders and innovators in their industries, and they expect the same level of excellence and precision from us. That means every element must be meticulously considered: set pieces measured down to the millimeter, colors perfectly matched, lighting calibrated to the exact shade of white, and textures that feel luxurious and refined. Everything we present nods back to a physical representation of the brand.


When we work with luxury clients, we’re often creating something entirely new – a concept, material or finish that may not exist yet in the mainstream market. That’s where the real challenge lies. It becomes a bit of a detective game, sourcing the right artisans, vendors or techniques that can execute a concept still in development.



You specialize in creating “unforgettable installations and pop-up moments.” How do you define a truly successful experiential moment, and what is the creative process you use to ensure a design resonates in person?


Raul Rodriguez: For us, a successful experiential moment delivers on the creative vision and exceeds what was promised in the renderings. Our goal is to make the final installation look just as good, if not better, than what the client first saw on paper. Internally, the success is also measured by how smoothly the process flows from design to fabrication to installation.


As for creating a viral moment, I wish I could say it’s an exact science, but it truly isn’t. All we can do is put out the best possible work and hope it resonates with the public. Over the years, we’ve had installations where we knew from the start they were going to be the “it” moment of Art Basel – like Dreaming with Lions by Alexandre Arrechea, Hall of Visions by Pilar Zeta or MAZE Journey Through the Algorithmic Self by Sebastian Errazuriz. Those installations were not only visually impressive but also supported by the incredible team at Faena Art, who helped amplify the work to ensure the public and press took notice.


Then there’s projects like last year’s AUTRY Art Gas Station by Robert Pruitt – one of our most technically challenging builds – where we built a fully functioning, completely mirrored and chrome gas station. It was an incredible engineering and design feat, yet it didn’t gain the same viral traction. So, a viral moment is like a moving target – sometimes you hit the bullseye, and sometimes you don’t, no matter how great the work is.


The Amex Tunnel at Hard Rock Stadium is a high-visibility, large-scale current project. Without giving away proprietary information, what was the core creative brief for that installation, and what is the biggest logistical challenge in bringing it to life?


Raul Rodriguez: The Amex Tunnel is a project we developed over the summer and recently completed at the Hard Rock Stadium. It began when the stadium reached out to us to design an entrance tunnel that would welcome guests as they arrived and checked into the American Express Lounge inside. Originally, we were given a one-page mood board and a 125-page American Express brand guideline document. The final design had to bring their vision to life and stay true to the Amex brand, and I’m proud to say we nailed it.


Due to the unique circumstances behind this project, it became quite a complex process to build. The project required collaboration between carpenters, welders, engineers, tile layers, Venetian plaster artists and even gardeners – all working together through long days and nights to bring the design to life.


What makes this project challenging was its permanence. Most of our installations are up temporarily, typically for about a week. This one will remain in place for at least a year! Everything had to be code compliant, weatherproof and hurricane resistant, while also able to withstand the wear and tear of thousands of people passing through every weekend.



2R Creative is unique for having extensive in-house fabrication, including carpenters, welders, and upholsterers. How does this vertical integration impact the creative process, quality control, and the speed at which you can respond to complex or lastminute design requests?


Raul Rodriguez: This has been one of the keys to our success. Because we have the infrastructure and control most of the process in-house, we’re able to turn projects around faster while maintaining the highest quality standards throughout every stage. I can sketch an idea one day and have it built and ready the next.


In addition to our in-house team, we’ve curated an extensive network of specialized partners and artisans across the country. We bring them in for projects that call for their unique expertise, ensuring we can execute even the most complex creative visions.


Another major advantage is our furniture rental division, Lavish Event Rentals. Having access to a 20,000-square-foot warehouse of high-end furniture allows us to function at a faster and more streamlined rate when designing and producing events.


You’ve built your agency as a Miami native. What, in your opinion, makes Miami the ideal stage for high-impact, experiential marketing and pop-up events compared to other major global cities?


Raul Rodriguez: What makes Miami an ideal stage – and the ideal city for me to build my business – is that it’s historically been less saturated than other major markets. In cities like New York City or Los Angeles, there are hundreds of agencies all vying for the same clients. When we started 25 years ago, Miami was often seen as “less than” those cities, especially when it came to creative production and experiential design.


It was always my goal to change that perception and build an agency that can deliver at the same level as any top firm in New York City or L.A. I made it my mission to be known as the go-to team in Miami for the same level of excellence you’d find anywhere else in the country. Over the years, that drive has helped us raise our own standards and elevate the city’s reputation within the industry.


You’ve previously discussed how technology, such as drones, holograms, and 3D printing, will shape the future of the industry. How is 2R Creative incorporating cuttingedge technology right now, and what futuristic concept are you most excited about bringing to life next?


Raul Rodriguez: To be honest, I’m excited to see how AI develops and how we can integrate it alongside our creative team to design projects. I think AI still has a long way to go when it comes to true creative design, but it’s already giving us the ability to look at things from different perspectives. It allows us to explore more ideas and generate additional options to make sure each project feels unique from anything that’s been done before, while at the same time helping us optimize for the goals we want to achieve.


Website: 2rcreative.com.


By ML Staff. Images courtesy of 2R Creative.

 
 
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