Why Pop-ups Are Popular and What You Can Expect To Find At Each One

We’ve been to plenty of pop-ups primarily because I believe in celebrating the everyday and pop-ups spark so much creativity, fun and delight!  They whisk you out of the mundane and shake you up with the extraordinary.  Plus they make for a surplus of Instagram-able pictures!  I’ve collected so many great shots along the way and will share some recent ones today.  (That rhymed).  And I don’t know about you but I’ve discovered patterns along the way.  Here are the 8 elements that make for a popular pop-up!

1. Mirrored/infinity room – Imagine walking into a spectacular, mirrored room, made to look like it goes on forever.  Then imagine you’re told you only have 60 seconds in there.  How would you spend your time?  That’s the challenge you’re given at many of these pop-ups.  And the pressure is ON to snap that Instagram-worthy shot within the short time given.  Here are a few examples.  Name of pop-up where the shot was taken is listed after each picture.
   

   Happy Go Lucky pop-up

   

   National Geographic Picasso pop-up

   

   Sunday Riley pop-up

2. Balloons.  Nothing screams celebration like a bunch of balloons so it’s no wonder so many pop-ups decorate with them in bunches.  It just feels like an instant party and who doesn’t love that?
   

   Paypal pop-up

   

   Happy Go Lucky pop-up

   

   Happy Place pop-up

   

   Geronimo’s pop-up

   

   Geronimo’s pop-up on another week

3. Floral art – another mood-enhancing pop-up trick is to add an abundance of flowers, the more creative the better.  Sometimes, they’re shaped to resemble something else for a wow effect, sometimes there’s just an endless supply to surround yourself with for your next selfie.
   

   Paypal pop-up

   

   Happy Place pop-up

   

   Happy Go Lucky pop-up

4. Ball pit – Who doesn’t love jumping into a ball pit?  This activation turns everyone into a big kid.  Who can resist jumping in especially when the ball pit is a pot of gold, or at the end of a giant pink slide, or part of a snow globe??
   

   Happy Place pop-up 

   

   Sunday Riley pop-up

   

   Google Pop-up 

    

   

   Lay’s pop-up

   

   Candytopia pop-up

   

   Cat pop-up 

   

   Egg House pop-up

5. Supersized items– Super pop-ups always have a supersized surprise.  Whether it’s a giant clam shell you can sit in and hold a pearl larger than you head, or whether it’s a ginormous rubber ducky that couldn’t fit in anyone’s tub, they inspire playfulness and tons of posing.
   

   Happy Go Lucky pop-up

   

   Happy Place pop-up

   

   Lay’s pop-up

   

   The Egg House pop-up

   

   Happy Place pop-up

   

   Candytopia pop-up

6. Colorful bathtub – I know, I know, a bathtub?  So what, but when you see it in a photogenic setting in a vibrant, never-before seen color, something takes over you and you must get in!  Trust me, I’ve seen the lines…
   

   Happy Place pop-up

   

   Sunday Riley pop-up

7. Millennial pink – the trendiest of all colors nowadays invokes such joy and comes in shades of blush, to rose quartz. In any case, everyone likes to be pretty in pink. It’s universally flattering and can nowadays be seen everywhere – including popups!
   

   Happy go Lucky Pop-up

   

   Sunday Riley pop-up

   

   Egg House pop-up

   

   Happy Go Lucky pop-up 

8. Psychedelic spaces – wanna get wild?  Check out the latest pop-up cuz there’s bound to be a crazy, graphic printed room where the floor, walls and/or ceiling endlessly scream a bold print that leave you with your jaw on the ground.
   

   Happy Go Lucky pop-up

   

   

   Candytopia pop-up

   

   Amaze pop-up

See what I mean?? Did I miss any other recurring themes and motifs?  And how about you?  How do you like pop-ups?

Click here to see more from Geronimo’s balloon explosion at Lincoln Center or here for Amaze’s black and white installation, or here for some 2017 pop-ups.

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