Now a winter magnet for the global creative scene, Art Basel and Design Miami has become a useful platform for brands to boost perception by showcasing their wider artistic acumen. 

From in-store presentations to playful associations, we highlight 2015’s best branded spaces. 

• Multisensory Relaxation: US mattress e-tailer Casper invited guests to a tent-based, multisensory rest and relaxation zone called The Quiet Rooms. They featured videos by NY-based multimedia artist Colin Snapp that toy with ideas around time and travel. The tepee-like tents were based at the Loews Miami Beach Hotel garden and, of course, also incorporated the brand’s mattresses. 

• Nomadic Objects: French luxury fashion house Louis Vuitton celebrated its Objets Nomades collection of foldable furniture and travel accessories in its very own exhibition space at the Miami flagship store. The collaboration involved both up-and-coming and established designers, including French architect Gwenaël Nicolas and Brazilian furniture designers Brothers Campanas. 

• Creative Process, Precious Skills: Italian fashion house Maison Valentino honoured the creative process and precious skills behind art with a live performance called From Memory to Creativity at its Miami flagship. During the performance, contemporary Roman artist Pietro Ruffo recreated an 18th-century map of Rome while seamstresses sewed haute couture dresses alongside him – giving guests a glimpse behind the scenes of Valentino Atelier. See also Exploiting Insider Access. 

• Artists at Work: US peer-to-peer travel website Airbnb extended its slogan “Belong Anywhere” into an ephemeral interactive installation called Belong.Here.Now. Chicago-based architects Design With Company’s voyeuristic, shared open forum allowed visitors to watch creatives in temporary residence at work, creating installations, giving talks or making music. 

• Ready for the Holidays: Miami retail centre Palm Court launched into the holiday season with a supersized installation by NY architecture and design agency Snarkitecture of four all-white, 30-ft-long fibreglass and foam candy canes stretching along the length of its walkways.

• Tropical Delights: J.Crew celebrated the release of its flamingo-and-palm-tree-emblazoned capsule accessories collection in the aptly South-Beach inspired Design Miami Market retail space. Designed by Miami-based sculptor Emmett Moore, the playful, tropical environment bore whitewashed wood and blue vinyl canopies. The collection was created in collaboration with acclaimed French illustrator Pierre Le Tan.

• Glamorous Nature: Austrian crystal brand Swarovski created an installation titled El Sol to further strengthen its longstanding commitment to art and wider cultural pursuits. Composed of 2,880 bespoke, precision-cut crystals, the spherical installation mimics the sun by appearing to glow from within its own core – a globe of LEDs. Visitors received a specially developed crystal lens for their phone cameras that refracts light, creating prism-like and kaleidoscopic effects when taking pictures. It was designed by NY/Mexico City-based architects Fernando Romero Enterprise.

• Ultra-Automotive: Audi marked its 10th anniversary as sponsor of Art Basel Miami with the Spotlights installation, created by Stockholm design studio Humans Since 1982. Three oversized spotlights arranged around the brand’s first large-series electric cars projected stunning video sequences depicting the main features of the original cars and visions of nature, in reference to its TV advertising campaigns. See also Monetising Brand Heritage. 

• Deep Immersion at High Tide: NY-based multidisciplinary artist John Margaritis presented High Tide at surf shop New York Sunshine. The installation comprised 130 ft of wooden shelving, housing 300 hand-dyed indigo T-shirts. The pieces became deeper in hue as the visitor walked further into the space. 

• Pool Party: Miami-based lifestyle brand Algae hosted a pool party in collaboration with its director and sculptor Johnny Laderer, Miami-based street artist Johnny Robles and Florida-based sculptor Giles Neale. Multicoloured inflatable surf shapes, a coral alphabet installation and a Tiki pop-up shop served as playful links to the brand’s tropical roots. 

See also Milan 2015: Branded Spaces, LDF 2015: Branded Spaces, Art Basel Miami ’14: Branded Spaces, Pop-Ups Evolve: Cultural Collisions, Pop-Ups Evolve: Tech & Social Media and the section Cultural Commerce: Artistic Elevation in Rites, Rituals & Culture Clubs, part of our New Era Luxury Macro Trend.