Maximum Impact For Minimal Footprint

By now, we’ve all internalised the old marketing mantra: bigger is better. Bigger venues. Bigger builds. Bigger budgets. But in today’s landscape where budgets are tight, attention spans are short and authenticity wins, it might be time to flip that thinking on its head. Here’s the truth: small can also be seismic.

In what’s likely a reflection of our shifting economy, tiny homes are redefining how we live. Miniature designer bags have become fashion must-haves. NPR’s Tiny Desk Concerts are iconic. Consumers aren’t just okay with compact — they’re drawn to it. And when it comes to brand activations, the same principle applies. You don’t need a massive footprint to make a massive impact.

In fact, the constraints of a small space often force smarter decisions — sharper storytelling, more intentional design, and a clearer message. Like when the indie film studio, A24, created a small exhibit called “Rooms,” recreating iconic film sets in tight gallery spaces. Or when my agency, Salt, built an elbow-grazingly small phone booth for Bored Ape Yacht club that we placed in a random parking lot (and which revealed the location of an exclusive party). Or when we helped the investment app Robinhood launch their IPO on Wall Street while simultaneously activating in four other cities. In New York, we dotted small footprints around busy street corners near Wall Street, including a playful street sign swap from WALL Street to ALL Street. In the other cities, pop-up installations and street-level activations carried the same inclusive message, showing passers by that the app’s trading tools were for everyone.

Designing for a smaller space isn’t about doing less, it’s about doing only what matters. Every inch must earn its place. You start by asking the hard questions. What’s the goal of this activation? What do we want people to feel? What moment will they share?

Strip away anything that doesn’t serve that vision. Forget “just in case” features. Forget filler. Get rid of things that don’t add an emotional impression. Does a four-meter tall 3D brand logo evoke feelings? Probably not. Instead, you have to focus on quality over quantity and experiences over excess. That’s how you create something that people will remember — and that they will go on to repost.

Design becomes everything in tiny spaces, and I’m not just talking about aesthetics, but intention. You want that Instagrammable moment. The one that stops people in their tracks. Something that draws people like having a local graffiti artist paint the entrance door in real time that connects to your story, while adding their own unique twist. There’s something therapeutic about watching an artist at work. You witness the process unfold—the thought, the talent, the raw creativity. You can even smell the spray paint in the air. It’s an experience that engages the senses and pulls people deeper into the moment. A small footprint can still hold a full emotional journey — surprise, delight, connection. Use all five senses. Make people feel something.

And you don’t waste a second. Tight timing keeps the energy up and the lines moving. Guests feel immersed, not rushed. It’s about designing with flow, not just form.

Of course, compact spaces come with their own headaches. There’s gear to hide, talent to manage, and a crew that needs to breathe. The secret? Creative logistics. A storage room becomes a control booth. A parked van becomes your back-of-house. You borrow space. You invent it. At Salt, we once transformed a back hallway into a production office, with the lighting programmer squeezed behind a temporary wall and even using a walk-in freezer for storage.

No matter the size of the project, you can always expand its reach. Like, say, by using the internet. A well-executed teaser campaign, cryptic wheat-pastes, influencer hints, countdown posts can all drive anticipation long before the activation launches. You’re not just building a booth. You’re building buzz.

Because that’s the power of a well-designed, small-space activation: it extends far beyond its physical footprint. It lives on in photos, stories, TikToks, and “you had to be there” recaps.

So next time someone asks, “Can we go bigger?” Maybe ask: “Can we go smarter?” instead.