Broadcast – Community – Creative Hub
Spark Playground – Retail Transformation for Sparkasse’s New Generation
Sparkasse’s Retail ecosystem required a deep and urgent transformation to address the disconnection and evolving expectations of new generations — particularly Gen Z and Gen Alpha.
The main goal was to design a new Retail format encompassing Concept, Brand Positioning, People Experience, and Offering, moving beyond the traditional “branch” model and creating a fresh opportunity to meaningfully engage and retain these strategic audiences.
The project required:
Target Understanding: A detailed mapping of Gen Z and Gen Alpha’s needs, “brakes” (perceived barriers), and expectations, in order to define a highly focused and locally relevant value proposition.
Differentiation: Identifying Spark’s key distinguishing elements versus competitors and clearly defining the Concept Idea, Value Proposition, USP, Branding, Naming, and Tone of Voice.
Format Innovation: Designing the right physical format (corner, hub, studio) and corresponding Landscape that would transcend the traditional branch experience — breaking the visual and behavioral codes that act as barriers for younger generations.
2. Brand Positioning
Based on an in-depth analysis of the target audience, we co-designed the new brand Spark.
The positioning was conceived to create a 360° relationship platform for young people, built on an ecosystem of partnerships, activities, and dedicated tools.
Mission and Pillars:
Spark’s mission is to engage young people through their parallel worlds — Sports, Culture, Art, and Personal Growth — with the goal of building a community of like-minded individuals.
The brand is strategically built on three pillars: #accompany, #inspire, #enable.
Naming and Values:
The name Spark expresses a “new spark” — something that ignites curiosity and accompanies the new generations along their financial and personal growth journeys.
Its Look & Feel is defined by three core values: dynamic, vibrant, and creative.
3. Concept and Experience Design
The core concept of Spark was developed around the metaphor of a “Playground”:
A destination for aggregation and collaboration where young people can find the tools to support their personal and financial growth.
This idea was brought to life through the design of two pilot physical spaces in Bolzano — conceived not as mere points of sale, but as experiential touchpoints that embody the brand’s positioning.
The Experience Design and Retail Format were developed to disrupt sector conventions, creating an innovative landscape of interaction, experimentation, and discovery.
Spark Studio (Via Cassa di Risparmio 16)
This place plays a strategic broadcaster role:
it serves as the communication hub for all Spark initiatives, showcasing what’s happening in real time and encouraging participation.
It’s a stimulating environment designed for developing new skills and fostering knowledge exchange.
A “Creative Hub” and “Club”, designed to be a place for meeting and exchange: events, courses, workshops, and activations that engage the local community.
Positioned as a “Broadcaster”, will communicate and share all brand initiatives. From here will be produced and broadcast — encouraging interaction and the acquisition of new knowledge.
www.be-spark.it, the website dedicated to the community, and the multi-subject campaign “Hey Spark!” with the editorial collaboration of WebRanking, VD News, Chora Media, We Are Era, Universal Music Italia, and Bank Station.
Spark Studio (Piazza Walther)
This place acts as a Creative Hub and Club:
a central, physical venue where young people can explore, experiment, and express creativity, meet others, and share experiences.
It hosts events, workshops, courses, and collaborations with local brands and organizations — a genuine gathering place for young people and the city
A city cultural landmark
“Spark aims to be a safe space, both physical and digital, where young people can connect with an active community, discuss financial topics, and discover dedicated products and useful tools to better manage their finances.”
Nicola Calabrò
CEO Sparkasse/Cassa di Risparmio di Bolzano
“The mission of Spark is clear: to inspire and empower young people to pursue their passions and goals, becoming a trusted partner in their personal and professional growth. It also invites them to connect with the community, live new experiences, and create their own future.”
Stefano Borgognoni
Head of Business Strategy & Development Sparkasse/Cassa di Risparmio di Bolzano.
4. Results
The project led to a complete redefinition of Spark’s positioning and Look & Feel, providing Sparkasse with a powerful new opportunity to engage Gen Z and Alpha meaningfully.
The “Playground” concept and the realization of the two pilot spaces not only brought the brand’s dynamic, vibrant, and creative values to life, but also established a new model of customer relationship — one that supports young people not just financially, but in their broader journey of growth.
This new Retail concept will be progressively applied to other Sparkasse touchpoints, extending the engagement model across the entire ecosystem.
We recognize that the future of banking requires horizontal learning and authentic engagement. Our approach, therefore, is not merely to build a branch, but to pioneer a new generation of experience-design codes. This space is engineered to deliver content, and trust, in a manner that is direct, sincere, and profoundly compelling, ensuring a coherent image that resonates with the digital fluency of younger clientele
Matteo Caraffini, DINN! Senior Strategist
The space engages a fluid generation accustomed to moving seamlessly between physical and digital realms, where experience is a shared narrative. Matter becomes a storytelling surface, color a communicative gesture, and space itself a stage for connection. The environment acts as a medium—a dynamic field for interaction, creativity, and expression.
Interiors are conceived as a playground, animated by constant exchange between online and offline. A direct visual language and flexible setups reflect the aesthetics of a generation seeking authenticity and participation.
Domenico Rescigno, DINN! Design Director
The identity of the space unfolds through layered narratives, creating a sensorial landscape grounded in dialogue between physical and digital.
The story begins with the territory and its roots, embodied by Ceppo di Gré flooring. This material anchors the environment in a refined, neutral elegance while connecting it to the Alpine landscape.
A palette of soft neutrals defines the physical space, contrasted by the digital dimension—vibrant, dynamic, and ever-evolving. Screens framed in polished steel amplify this dialogue, as vivid digital content creates a shifting landscape that enriches the visitor’s experience.
Red serves a dual role: as the brand’s primary color and a bridge to its audience. The Rosso di Alpi veneers by Ettore Sottsass evoke his radical vision, turning color into a universal language and objects into expressive totems of warmth and identity.
The result is a space in constant motion, revealing itself as a layered, sensorial landscape.
