Sippin Sunshine

The thickness of the air foreshadows a sticky hot girl summer on this humid Sunday in Ohio. Ominous gray clouds tease umbrella-less pedestrians as they scurry from store to store. Some people even preemptively ducking under awnings anticipating the start of the rain show. Having lived in Columbus for the past 12 years and Ohio practically my whole life, you begin to gain your own appreciation for the rain. Especially in the summertime. Like the smell of morning dew on freshly cut grass, the rain often carries a distinct scent of renewal. A gentle reminder to take pause, reflect and be present.

As light rain drops begin to mist the air, a cool breeze carries the familiar joy of weightless bubbles. Bubbles have a lightweight way of lifting the spirit, even on the cloudiest of days. I like to think their weightlessness is a result of all the childlike wonder they hold. Following my own childhood curiosity, I allow the brigade of bubbles to lead me directly to the the perfect place to hide away from the storm.

TENSPACE X Olipop

This isn't a store. It's a story." -TENSPACE Visitor

As my feet left the sidewalk and entered the store, I felt myself teleport into the Willy Wonka equivalent of a soda fountain shop. Giant striped multi-color straws bursting from floor to ceiling greeted me, as if both welcoming and protecting the magic of the atmosphere. Taking a couple of paces forward on the carpet, that might have quite honestly been a yellow brick road, I found myself introduced to the "Mayor" of this far off land.

Her presence reminded me of the sunshine's rays on this overcast day and her smile beamed through her mask. Stacy A Glenn, serves as the TENSPACE Experience Manager, and undeniably the heart of TENSPACE. TENSPACE is an immersive retail experience creating in-real-life experiences for online brands. Each experience runs for 8 weeks in the Short North Art District of Columbus, OH. As one TENSPACE Visitor described the space is much more than a story, it's a story. And Glenn serves as the curator of the author's vision to bring their story to life.

The most recent online brand to be featured, just so happened to champion the flavor-ite sidekick to summer - Olipop soda.

Olipop

Olipop founders Dave and Ben have a vision of healthier and tastier future. Their line of soda specializes in supporting digestive health through feeding our body's good bacteria the essential prebiotics that they need. And they have achieved this at the intersection of healthy and delicious. Through flavors such as Strawberry Vanilla, Root Beer, Vintage Cola and Orange Squeeze consumers are able to enjoy nostalgic soda fountain flavors while feeling the benefits of the soda sipping revolution.

As Glenn led us through a tour of the land she shared her own stories of summers past. The space included an entire 10 ft. wall fashioned after an old soda fountain parlor; scent inspired rooms decked out with fruity decor; Olipop branded cornhole (a Midwest summer classic); and a wall adorned with all the memories of guests based on their most nostalgic flavor. She reminisced on backyard BBQs and family functions, that always led to a treasure trove of bubbly beverages. She joyfully reenacted herself gathering more cans than her arms could carry and delighting in the newfound flavors discovered at the bottom of the cooler.

And for a moment, even though it was the first time we met, I felt an odd familiarity in her story. The flavors of her memories took me back to my own slice of summertime. One of clinking cans of Fresca (the only "good for you" soda at the time, according to my mother) on the patio with my sisters after running barefoot through the sprinklers in the backyard.

Hey Thanks for the Memories

A perfect amount of time had passed as I ventured through this oasis in the midst of the storm. The rain began to silently fall and gently slid down the glass of the storefront like comets streaking through the sky. As my eyes flickered from postcard to postcard on the wall, my mind was flooded with film strips full of memories.

Strawberry Vanilla takes me back to... chasing after the tune of the ice cream truck

Grape Crush takes me back to... ice cold popsicles dripping down hot thighs

Root Beer takes me back to... ice cream floats with my dad

Vintage Cola takes me back to... drive-through movies in the back of my boyfriend's jeep wrangler

Ginger Lemon takes me back to... sunset porch sits with my mom

And Orange Squeeze well that takes me right back to...summertime