Benny’s Pawn Shop Experiential Design

Role: Assistant Creative Direction and Lead Designer (Hello Amigo)
Team: Creative Direction: Armando Alvarez | Copywriting - Angie Kimmel | Development - Brandon Silverstein | Project Management: Analisa Silverstein

Overview

Benny’s Pawn Shop wanted to refresh their brand perception and attract new customers in a crowded market. Their goal was to create a fun, family-friendly experience that introduced Benny’s to the El Paso community in a fresh and engaging way. We partnered with the El Paso Chihuahuas baseball team to bring the brand directly to thousands of fans in one high-energy night.

the Experience

We concepted and designed Shop ’N Swap, a live stadium activation where three lucky fans competed for a one-ounce gold coin. The booth featured multiple interactive touchpoints:

  • Prize wheel

  • Coupon distribution

  • “Pot of Gold” guessing game

  • Branded merchandise + giveaways

The goal: create a space that felt approachable, exciting, and unmistakably Benny’s.

My contributions

I led design for the full event identity, shaping a cohesive visual system across every fan touchpoint. This included:

  • Brand-forward color palette, typography, and custom iconography

  • Large-scale stadium banners and table runners

  • Custom coins, flyers, gift certificates

  • Branded t-shirts, baseballs, sunglasses, pens, and additional merchandise

  • Layouts optimized for visibility across a fast-moving stadium environment

I also co-led the brainstorm for the game concept and collaborated closely with:

  • The Benny’s ownership + internal team

  • Chihuahuas stadium management

  • Copywriting + production vendors

Together, we mapped the booth flow and designed an experience that balanced fun, clarity, and brand consistency.

Impact

The activation delivered big results:

  • 2,000+ fans engaged with the booth

  • 500+ new customer sign-ups collected on-site

  • Significant boost in store foot traffic in the weeks following

  • Fans, stadium staff, and the Benny’s team praised the design and overall experience

The event positioned Benny’s as approachable and community-oriented—reshaping perception and introducing the brand to thousands of first-time shoppers. The strategic concept and cohesive identity established a blueprint for future Benny’s pop-ups.