How Tipsy Elves brings its company culture to life in a fun, bold space
“We make products that are fun. Our team atmosphere is fun. Our workplace needs to be fun, too,” said Tipsy Elves Brand Marketing Director Richard Goff. Located at Wells Fargo Plaza in San Diego, Tipsy Elves has been the source of the world’s most outrageous party clothing since 2012. What initially started as a business providing ugly Christmas sweaters has grown into a party fashion revolution. The company’s workplace matches their fun-focused brand.
From a life-sized Tipsy Elf mascot in the lobby to confetti wallpaper and Christmas tree-green workstations, the space is designed for work and play — often at the same time. It’s also the perfect example of how to turn a workplace into a physical manifestation of company culture.
Bringing culture to life in the office takes more than a collection of values or a mantra painted on the wall. It’s moments of visual recognition, like team photos or cultural easter eggs. It’s the thoughtful use of color, light and layout to set a mood for the space. It’s asking, “How should employees feel every day when they’re here? How should they interact?” and then designing space to support those answers. It’s treating the workplace like a company’s “home base,” similar to a club’s central meeting place.
For the Tipsy Elves team, that meant creating a space that prioritizes fun without compromising functionality. Their office houses marketing, content production, product development and more, all under one roof. The space is sectioned out enough to
photograph new outfits for social media campaigns and open enough for design and strategy teams to collaborate on exciting new products.
“Our office is a little bit like our lab in the sense that we’re coming up with these crazy ideas collaboratively as a team,”
Goff said. “Having a space that supports that is really important.”
The benefits of their new office space are clear: Not only does the larger space and layout better accommodate the team’s rapid growth, but new and old employees alike strengthen their connections to the company’s mission every time they step into the space.
“We’re on a mission to make the world a more fun, positive place where our clothes help customers have unforgettable experiences,” Goff said. “Our team should have more fun, too.”
