LES SCHWAB: DESCHUTES COUNTY FAIR
BUILT FOR THE FAIR. ROOTED IN COMMUNITY.
EXPERIENTIAL DESIGN | COMMUNITY ACTIVATION | BRAND EXPERIENCE
Les Schwab has grown alongside the agriculture communities of the Pacific Northwest for more than 70 years, with support for 4-H and FFA woven into the company from the beginning. For the launch of Fields to Fairs, Studio Butch translated that long-standing commitment into a physical experience at the Deschutes County Fair—Central Oregon’s largest annual community event.
More than a sponsorship footprint, the activation was designed as a place of recognition, hospitality, and play. Across five days, youth exhibitors, families, and fairgoers moved through a bright, tire-built environment that celebrated Les Schwab’s heritage while making room for the next generation.
TWO EXPERIENCES UNDER ONE TENT. ONE SHARED PURPOSE.
At the heart of the activation was the Blue Ribbon Club, an exclusive home base for 4-H and FFA exhibitors and their families. A dedicated VIP entry led to a lounge with complimentary snacks and drinks, boot shines, whites cleaning, custom merchandise, and recognition moments that treated young participants like the champions they were.
Alongside it, an all-access Les Schwab experience invited the wider fair community into the brand through lasso lessons, lawn games, a daily tire giveaway, custom Ames Bros merchandise, and Mazama—the mechanical tire bull that became an instant landmark.
Every detail connected back to Les Schwab’s world. Stacked tire walls became architecture and display, regional materials and ranch-inspired graphics grounded the space in Central Oregon, and a palette of signature yellow, blue, red, and weathered wood made the experience feel unmistakably Les Schwab without losing the warmth of the fair.
The experience was built to grow more meaningful as the fair unfolded. Recognition walls filled with Polaroids of youth champions and their animals, marquee boards celebrated daily wins, and programming shifted with the rhythm of showmanship, the livestock auction, and life in the barns.
That same care carried into operations. Studio Butch developed the guest journey, staffing plan, service standards, and daily programming—then managed installation and on-site delivery across a five-day run. The result was a high-touch experience that could welcome thousands of people while still feeling personal.
The response made the impact tangible: 4,380 visits, 686 raffle entries, 452 boot shines, 336 lasso lessons, and 227 rides on Mazama. More importantly, families described the Blue Ribbon Club as a safe, restorative place that made their kids feel seen—and asked Les Schwab to bring it back.
4,380 VISITS. 227 BULL RIDES. COUNTLESS BLUE-RIBBON MOMENTS.
AT-A-GLANCE
CLIENT: Les Schwab
TYPE: Experiential Design / Community Activation / Brand Experience
LOCATION: Deschutes County Fair, Redmond, Oregon
ACTUALIZATION: Five-day Fields to Fairs experience for 4-H, FFA, and the wider fair community
PHOTOGRAPHER: Christopher Brown
BUILD PARTNERS: Matchless Builds / Different Worldz / Rainier Tent
OUR ROLE:
• Creative Direction
• Experience & Spatial Design
• Environmental Graphics
• Custom Fabrication & Production
• Programming & Guest Experience
• On-Site Installation & Operations
OUR ROLE:
Creative Direction
Experience & Spatial Design
Environmental Graphics
Custom Fabrication & Production
On-Site Installation
PROJECT GALLERY
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