Oracle
ROLE
Head Researcher
TEAM
2 Researchers
4 Product Designers
TIMELINE
Oct-Dec 2025
SKILLS
Brand Research
Advertising
TOOLS
Figma
Adobe Creative Suite
THE CHALLENGE
This project explores how two distinct brands can merge their digital ecosystems into a unified, co-owned experience that respects each brand’s identity while creating something meaningfully new. The challenge is to craft a true fifty-fifty mashup, not a takeover or a sponsorship. Both brands must feel equally represented in visuals, tone, functionality, and value.
THE SOLUTION
To address this challenge, I designed a balanced digital collaboration between Coachtopia and Animal Crossing that merges circular fashion with cozy worldbuilding in a way that feels genuinely co-created. The solution introduces a shared platform called “CoachCrossing”, where users can design, repair, and customize virtual accessories inspired by Coachtopia’s upcycled materials using Animal Crossing–style gameplay and aesthetics.
CONTEXT
What is Coachtopia by COACH?
A sub-brand of the luxury fashion brand COACH, Coachtopia believes in responsible fashion. The brand's handbags represent commitment to sustainability. Each item is meticulously crafted from environmentally friendly materials.
What is Animal Crossing: New Horizons?
A video game by Nintendo, Animal Crossing New Horizons focuses game-play on environmental interaction. The game's storyline represents open-ended creativity. The endless possibilities of fun the game has to offer are all rooted in taking care of the world around you.
BRAND RESEARCH
Exploring the Identities of Coachtopia and Animal Crossing
Coachtopia, Coach’s circular sub-brand, centers its identity on sustainability, transparency, and collaboration with the next generation of creators. The brand reimagines luxury fashion through recycled materials, community involvement, and a commitment to showing how products are made. Its focus on circular fashion, accountability, co-creation with Gen Z, and limited-edition product drops reflects a desire to build a more responsible and participatory approach to modern luxury.
Animal Crossing New Horizons is a Nintendo life-simulation game that celebrates creativity, self-expression, and social connection through highly customizable island environments. Its relaxed and mindful gameplay encourages players to enjoy progress at their own pace while building personalized spaces that reflect their identity.
Both Coachtopia and Animal Crossing share strong values around creativity, community, personalization, and accessibility. Coachtopia collaborates with young designers to co-create unique collections, while Animal Crossing empowers players to design and share their creations globally. Coachtopia’s commitment to circularity aligns with the game’s slow-living mindset, and both brands aim to be inclusive experiences that are inviting to a wide range of participants.
IBM TOOLKIT
Understanding the Shared User Opportunity
Our team recognized the many similar brand pillars between Coachtopia and Animal Crossing: New Horizons. Users of both the fashion brand and the video game enjoy growing collections, dressing up an outfit, and being mindful of the environment. With that in mind as we start the creation these two brands, Coachtopia buyers and ACNH players need a seamless blend of stylish, environmental collectibles and engaging, entertaining gameplay because the potential for customer crossover is too strong to ignore due to the likeness in what Coachtopia and ACNH deem important.
USER RESEARCH
Interviewing 63 Coachtopia buyers and Animal Crossing players to uncover Cross-Brand User Interaction
Before diving into design, we conducted surevy interviews with Coachtopia buyers and Animal Crossing players to better understand how they engage with both brands and move between fashion customization and in-game creative experiences. Our goal was to uncover pain points in how users discover products, express themselves, and participate in each brand’s community spaces. We synthesized our findings into an affinity map, from which the following key insights emerged.
68%
of our users prefer brands that incorporate eco-friendly practices in both digital and physical experiences.
65%
of our users enjoy interactive or gamified elements in brand collaboration.
55%
of our users are excited to attend immersive pop-up experiences combining both brands.
62%
prefer receiving updates, new content announcements, and promotions via social media platforms.
REAL WORLD APPLICATIONS
Users interact with gamified in-game content, follow updates on Twitter and Instagram, and engage with pop-up events, billboards, and in-game items like virtual bags brought to life in real life. Sustainability initiatives make the experience socially responsible while increasing engagement, building community, and strengthening loyalty across both Coachtopia and Animal Crossing audiences.
