How to do brand activations in 2025

Last week, I flew to Miami to capture content for an activation between Boiler Room x On Running that left me with a lot to think about.

Not just about the event itself, but also what it represented and what other brands can learn from it.

So, let’s start with the pairing…

Boiler Room has been a fixture in underground music for over a decade. They've built a reputation by spotlighting regional scenes—everything from samba to grime to dancehall—through a distinct lo-fi format: a DJ at the center, a room full of people moving to the rhythm, and a camera capturing the energy without gloss or polish.

It’s raw, accessible, and always about the culture first.

Then there’s On. The Swiss performance brand has grown rapidly, carving out real market share from giants like Nike and Adidas. But beyond the growth, what’s most interesting is how they’re positioning themselves—not just as a running brand, but as one that sits at the intersection of sport and style.

Collabs with talents like Zendaya and FKA Twigs signal where they’re headed.

On doesn’t have the history of brands like Wilson or Lacoste in sports like tennis. There’s no built-in preppy aesthetic or legacy to lean on.

And honestly, that’s working in their favor. On is entering these spaces with a clean slate, at a time when tennis, golf, and running are shedding their exclusivity and becoming more open, diverse, and culturally fluid. While heritage brands are figuring out how to adapt, On seems to understand the moment.

That’s why this partnership with Boiler Room felt so well-considered.

It wasn’t a product drop with a party attached. It was a shared idea: unite two communities around sport, music, and energy. Let each brand do what they do best—and let the crossover happen naturally.

The event itself was sharp. On hosted a community tennis tournament with their athletes Ben Shelton and João Fonseca. The crowd was a mix of creatives, athletes, and locals. Then, the scene shifted into a Boiler Room afterparty with sets from Pressure Point, Marte, Cromo X, and Shenseea.

The venue—Lot 11 Skatepark, under the freeway in downtown Miami—was the perfect setting: gritty, iconic, and wide open. Hundreds of people showed up. It felt real.

What can we learn from this?

The core idea isn’t new: show up in culture. But the execution is what stood out. This activation worked because there was alignment. Shared values. Mutual benefit. Each brand lent credibility to the other in a way that felt intentional.

Too often, brand partnerships try to force a connection that isn’t really there. The result is something that looks good in a recap deck, but doesn’t land with real people. This was the opposite—it started with culture and built from there.

Here are a few questions brands should be asking when thinking about activations like this:

• Who aligns with our values—and can stretch us in new directions?

• How do we show up in ways that feel native, not borrowed?

• Can we spotlight emerging communities instead of simply tapping existing ones?

• What does it look like to create something people want to be part of, not just something they want to watch?

Boiler Room x On isn’t a template, but it is a strong example of building experiences with care and clarity.

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