The Live Autopsy: why performative brand activations demand clinical deconstruction. Unboxing a premium product on a pristine retail counter is entirely forgettable. Standard product demonstrations treat the consumer like a passive observer, pointing out surface features while keeping the actual mechanics safely hidden away. This superficial engagement fails to justify premium price points in an increasingly skeptical market. To manufacture genuine hype, modern performative brand activations must abandon safe displays and physically tear the product apart in public. The solution is the Live Autopsy. This framework transforms a standard pop-up into a theatrical operating theatre, where products are aggressively dissected and deconstructed under clinical spotlights. By treating standard engineering like an anatomical marvel, brands create visceral, highly documented moments that prove their manufacturing superiority. Here is how three forward-thinking brands used clinical deconstruction to turn technical specifications into theatre. Photograph: Dyson/dyson.in Dyson. The Model: Inside their flagship stores, Dyson suspends deconstructed versions of their vacuums and hair care products (like the Airwrap) in mid-air or behind glass cases. The outer shells are stripped away to reveal the Hyperdymium motors, circuitry, and internal airflow mechanics. Why It Works: It proves that you aren't just buying a vacuum; you are buying high-end, proprietary technology. It transforms plastic home appliances into high-end, obsessively engineered artifacts, directly justifying their premium price points. Photograph: Arc'teryx/arcteryx.com Arc'teryx. The Model: Arc'teryx has launched "ReBIRD" repair centers directly inside their flagship retail stores. They put technicians front-and-center under bright lights. Customers watch as jackets are torn down, heat-taped, and reconstructed live. Why It Works: This merges the repair economy with live entertainment. Watching a technician surgically repair a $600 jacket proves the durability and superior construction of the garment far better than a standard product tag could. Photograph: Jean Palmieri/wwd.com Hermès. The Model: For their global "Hermès in the Making" exhibition, the brand pulls artisans from their French workshops and places them at clinical workbenches. Attendees watch them actively deconstruct and hand-stitch leather bags, assemble wooden saddle trees, and separate complex silk screens. Why It Works: It proves their staggering luxury prices are tied to genuine human craftsmanship, not just a famous logo. Watching raw materials get physically hammered, stitched, and repaired live frames the product as a generational heirloom rather than a seasonal accessory. The playbook: clinical deconstruction. The era of placing a static product on a pedestal is over. When planning your next campaign, you must stop hiding your engineering behind sleek outer shells and polished marketing copy. Instead, design environments that intentionally destroy, dissect, and expose the inner workings of your flagship items in front of a live audience. This structural transparency builds unbreakable consumer trust and turns a basic product demonstration into aggressive, undeniable proof. Are you just telling the crowd how it works, or are you cutting it open to show them?

Arc'teryx introduces System 0(TM), a new framework for the future of product design and circularity. * August 26, 2026 21:55 GMT+700 Sperro SV, a multisport mountain-grade hardshell built with circular design principles, available September 4, 2026 North Vancouver, British Columbia-(ANTARA/Business Wire)-Arc'teryx Equipment, the global design company specializing in technical high-performance apparel and equipment, today introduced System 0(TM), a new framework that reimagines how products can be designed, manufactured, used, repaired, and ultimately regenerated. System 0 represents the next evolution for sustainability in the outdoor industry, as it embeds circular thinking across an entire product lifecycle while maintaining the uncompromising performance standards that define the Arc'teryx brand. The first product being introduced as part of the System 0 platform is the Sperro SV jacket, a multisport mountain-grade hardshell engineered for durability, repairability, and disassembly at end of life - the stage that has traditionally been the greatest challenge to circular design. Built with GORE-TEX (R) Pro Fabric featuring the ePE membrane, Sperro SV was developed with GORE-TEX Brand's testing expertise to meet their durable waterproof, windproof, and breathable performance standards. Sperro SV's nylon face fabric and backer are separately designed for recyclability in partnership with Aquafil, the manufacturer of ECONYL (R) regenerated nylon. Available globally beginning September 4, 2026, through Arc'teryx stores and arcteryx.com, Sperro SV is now Arc'teryx's most advanced hardshell jacket, succeeding in the brand's goal to prove that a circular approach can be integrated into technical apparel without compromising the greatest standards for performance. "System 0 represents a fundamental shift in how we build and scale our business with circularity front of mind," said Stuart Haselden, Chief Executive Officer of Arc'teryx. "For decades, Arc'teryx has built gear that's meant to be repaired, not replaced. This is the next step forward. System 0 challenges us to consider the entire process of creating products so they can remain in use longer and ultimately be regenerated into something new. Our vision is a future where gear doesn't end up in landfills but instead continues to have a purpose beyond its first life. Today moves us closer to that vision." Sperro SV is the first product to be certified by TESTEX (R) Circularity, a leading standard Arc'teryx copiloted as part of this work to fill a gap in circular product standards. The TESTEX (R) certification surpassed their own expectations in confirming the jacket's unique capacity for long-lasting wear, quick and easy repair, and ability to undergo a cutting-edge chemical recycling process to maximize reuse of materials. This new System 0 approach builds on the popularity of ReBIRD(TM), Arc'teryx's existing ecosystem of Wash, Repair, Trade-In, Resale, and Upcycle. Following years of research and engineering, System 0 integrates these principles into every stage of the business. That includes everything from design, to sourcing and manufacturing, to guest experience, repair, and end-of-life recovery - all with the intention of making circularity a scalable operating model. Sperro SV has been extensively tested by alpine professionals, including the search and rescue teams from Vancouver's North Shore Rescue. It is reinforced at common failure points, including the brand's first easily replaceable zipper slider, a previous common failure point, and comes with three years of unlimited, out-of-warranty repairs through ReBIRD(TM). When Sperro SV is no longer repairable, the chemical recycling process grinds up the fabric, separating nylon materials from the GORE-TEX membrane, and returns the material to Aquafil to be regenerated into new virgin-grade ECONYL (R) yarn. Built to remain in use as long as possible, Sperro SV is Designed to Persist(TM). "At Arc'teryx, we design products to perform for the long-term. System 0 asks us to think even bigger," said Katie Becker, Chief Creative Officer of Arc'teryx. "It represents a mindset shift for our entire design team and a powerful evolution in how we innovate. We deliberately started with one of the hardest problems - a hardshell, the most complex product we make. If we can solve circularity here, we believe we can apply what we learn across our entire system. And we know we're just getting started." "As a society, our expectations for what premium products can do are growing rapidly," added Haselden. "And we believe circularity will increasingly become a part of what defines premium performance. The future is not a choice between technical excellence and environmental responsibility - we should expect both. System 0 represents our commitment to advancing that future." To learn more about System 0, visit arc'teryx.com. Watch 'A New System,' the latest episode of our Obsessive Design series, on YouTube. Arc'teryx is a Canadian company based in the Coast Mountains. Our design process is connected to the real world, focused on delivering durable, unrivalled performance. Our products are distributed through more than 2,300 retail locations worldwide. We are problem solvers, always evolving and searching for a better way to deliver resolved, minimalist designs. Good design that matters makes lives better. Arc'teryx is part of Amer Sports, a global group of iconic sports and outdoor brands, publicly traded on the New York Stock Exchange. Arc'teryx PR

Salomon sees North american growth as Arc'teryx partners with Dick's Sporting Goods. Amer Sports sees growth for Salomon in North America and an Arc'teryx partnership for a shop-in-shop in 15 Dick's House of Sports doors to start this fall. August 18, 2026, 3:39pm North America represents growth opportunities for Amer Sports' two key brands, Arc'teryx and Salomon footwear. Amer's chief financial officer Andrew Page told investors during a Tuesday conference call after posting second quarter results that second quarter store openings for Arc'teryx include Oak Ridge Park in Vancouver and Southdale in Minnesota, bringing the total store network to 75 locations across the continent. Page said there also could be 200 doors over time across North America. In the U.S., LUXUS Alternatives, Inc. is expanding into a "new partnership with Dick's Sporting Goods where we will be entering 15 hand-selected premium House of Sports locations for fall-winter 2026," Page said. The Arc'teryx brand will be showcased in experiential shop-in-shop formats, with a particular "emphasis on the core outerwear offerings and including footwear," the CFO noted, adding that the shops are in the test-and-learn stage and that there is "potential to expand further over time." In a telephone interview, Page said the Arc'teryx partnership builds on the existing relationship Amer has with Dick's in connection with its Ball and Racquet business through Wilson 360. Page also spoke about the positive feedback from consumers on Salomon's new gravel concept. The hybrid running shoe allows for an "easier transition when you go from gravel to pavement running," he said. And while Salomon's performance running platform continues to see fast growth, Page noted that Sportstyle - introduced a few years ago featuring the "same DNA and the technical performance ability as our trail running shoes" - has been the fastest growing franchise in its footwear business, although both are still smaller than Salomon's trail business. Jie Zheng, Amer's chief executive officer, told investors on the conference call that investments to grow Salomon brand awareness and the distribution footprint are paying off, "driving strong footwear momentum across regions, channels and for both Sportstyle and the Performance products. He said global Sportstyle momentum continues, which is helping the development of Salomon's positioning "as the modern outdoor sneaker brand. The XT6 and XT Whisper franchise are resonating with a younger and more diverse adults from technical sports in the mountains to culture and the communities in the cities." Zheng also said that South Korean global superstar singer and actress Jisoo will be Salomon's new global ambassador. The Amer CEO said that while the U.S. is the largest single sneaker market in the world, it remains a "small business for us," noting that there is strong demand for the Salomon brand but very limited distribution thus far for the brand. "Today, we are seeing a clear acceleration in North America as we leverage the rising brand awareness to expand distribution with both new and existing wholesale partners as well as our own stores and e-com," Zheng said. The brand during the quarter opened its first North America flagship store on Fifth Avenue in Manhattan, and is expanding wholesale shelf space with existing wholesale partners Nordstrom and JD Sports, and more recently starting in July, Foot Locker. As for the epicenter strategy, cities such as Paris, London, Shanghai, Beijing, Tokyo and New York are driving both strong sales momentum and rising brand awareness through relevant store locations or "handpicked elevated wholesale doors." The brand is also investing in event partnerships in its epicenter cities to build lasting connections with consumers. Zheng said Miami, San Francisco, Chicago and Boston in the U.S. are the new major cities that will be part of the epicenter strategy down the road. Overseas, the new major cities in the future include Berlin and Seoul. And for Arc'teryx, Zheng said the brand had another great quarter with its footwear business, including "strong double-digit growth across regions." Arc'teryx's Norvan LD 4 trail shoes continues to be "our biggest volume driver," Zheng said. Also continuing to do well are its Konseal trekking shoes. And he said that the launch of the brand's latest version of its technical trail racing shoe, the Sylan 2, in March continues to perform well. "Looking forward, we are confident that Arc'teryx has an exciting pipeline of shoe releases for the coming years," Zheng said, adding that the brand also saw momentum in its women's apparel category. He noted that the category is growing fast and the brand awareness is rising as the company improves fit, style and function for its women's offerings. For the second quarter ended June 30, net income skyrocketed to $107.2 million from $18.2 million in the same year-ago quarter, on a 32.1 percent gain in revenue to $1.63 billion from $1.24 billion. For the second quarter in a row, Amer raised guidance for the year ending Dec. 31, 2026. It now expects revenue to grow 24 percent, with diluted earnings per share forecasted at between $1.27 to $1.30. Daily Headlines