Donut King’s ‘Hot Cinni’ Activation | Case Study

The Brief 

Just prior to National Donut Day in mid-2023, Donut King wanted to ramp-up the excitement, so NEXT Printing stepped in to help them celebrate the anniversary of their famous Hot Cinnamon Donut by building the ‘Home of the Hot Cinni’ at Pix On Location in Alexandria, Sydney NSW. The space was transformed into a pastel pad with themed rooms where guests (primarily influencers) could enjoy the scent of freshly baked donuts whilst sipping custom Cinni-Coladas.

Re-board® was utilised as the main ‘building’ material. As the event lasted only a single evening, it was a wise move to choose a strong and sustainable material to replicate the living spaces and also be easily broken down and recycled post activation. To complete the donut-inspired decor, NEXT also printed and supplied custom floor mats, decals to transform hired furniture and KAPA® 3D Lettering to add further depth to walls and counters.

The Challenge

Common to many sites, initial checks indicated that the flooring at the location was quite uneven. This proved challenging as Re-board® walls are constructed from individual panels that are printed, cut and folded to form finished sections that lock together. Variations in floor level made the alignment of the internal structure, not to mention the printed surface, quite difficult. In addition to this, there was a relatively short turnaround period, with only six working days for industrial design, creation of 3D renders and print and production. NEXT Printing would also be responsible for the same day installation.

The Solution

Due to the limited time for structural design and production, elements within the job were split between NEXT’s Industrial Design and Prepress Teams, with Prepress setting up and proofing many of the 2D/Flat items (decals, computer cut lettering etc.) to allow Industrial Design to focus on their design work and rendering. The unevenness of the floor at the location was taken into consideration, with some areas of flexibility built into the structure to allow retrofitting on-site by the installers.

The Execution

NEXT Printing’s team of experienced installers were able to cut and adapt the internal structure of the walls and also chock where necessary to ensure wall panels aligned as closely as possible. Four themed rooms (bedroom, bathroom, lounge room and kitchen were constructed using flat Reboard® backwalls and shared side walls within the allocated installation slot. Considerable attention to detail was required during the application of the 3D lettering, self-adhesive vinyl decals and other embellishments with NEXT working alongside stylists and other teams on-site to add the finishing glaze to the donut!

Carbon Savings

We replaced more than 104 square metres of MDF and vinyl with eco-friendly Reboard, slashing greenhouse gas emissions by 317 kilograms. That’s the equivalent of a car traveling 1,366 kilometres.

The Takeaway

Checking out Donut King’s Instagram page following the event, it’s apparent that the custom built Reboard® rooms contributed massively to the playful nostalgic vibe. Influencers and celebrities alike were all photographed within what appears, for all intents and purposes, to be a donut-decorated home. This exclusive event which preceded National Donut Day (when Donut King gave away 44,000 free cinnamon donuts!) raised brand-awareness and did so using predominantly sustainable sets – a fact that proved to be truly ‘cin-sational’!